CDC Reduces Number of Recommended Childhood Vaccines

WASHINGTON, D.C. -   JANUARY 5, 2026

The Department of Health and Human Services put out a press release today, announcing the reduction in the number of recommended childhood vaccines:

Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill, in his role as Acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), today signed a decision memorandum accepting recommendations from a comprehensive scientific assessment of U.S. childhood immunization practices, following a directive from President Trump to review international best practices from peer, developed countries.

On December 5, 2025, via a Presidential Memorandum, President Trump directed the Secretary of HHS and the Acting Director of CDC to examine how peer developed nations structure their childhood vaccination schedules and to evaluate the scientific evidence underlying those practices. He instructed them to update the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule if superior approaches exist abroad while preserving access to vaccine currently available to Americans.

After consulting with health ministries of peer nations, considering the assessment’s findings, and reviewing the decision memo presented by National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Food and Drug Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Acting Director O’Neill formally accepted the recommendations and directed the CDC to move forward with implementation.

“President Trump directed us to examine how other developed nations protect their children and to take action if they are doing better,” Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. “After an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent. This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health.”

Dr. Robert Malone, a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, sent out a detailed message on his Substack account, summarizing the reasoning for the change:

The updated U.S. childhood immunization schedule represents a decisive shift toward scientific restraint, transparency, and individualized care. By aligning more closely with peer nations such as Denmark, the new schedule narrows universal recommendations to vaccines with clear international consensus against the most serious childhood diseases, while reclassifying others, such as influenza, rotavirus, and hepatitis A, for high-risk groups or shared clinical decision-making.

The old (pre-2026, end-of-2024/2025) CDC childhood immunization schedule recommended vaccines against 17–18 diseases for all children (through age 18), resulting in a total of around 60 doses (injections or administrations) by adolescence for a fully on-schedule child. This figure comes from Dr. Robert Malone's Substack post (which aligns with official Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]/CDC statements from January 5, 2026) and reflects the cumulative number of doses across the full schedule, including multiple doses per vaccine series (e.g., Diphtheria, Tetanus, and acellular Pertussis [DTaP] vaccine typically 5 doses, Measles, Mumps, and Rubella [MMR] vaccine 2 doses, hepatitis B 3 doses, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine [PCV] 4 doses, annual influenza if followed, etc.). The "around 60" count includes boosters, multi-dose series, and repeated annual vaccines like influenza (recommended yearly from age 6 months onward, adding potentially 15–18 doses alone if adhered to through age 18).

The new (updated January 2026) schedule narrows universal ("recommended for all children") recommendations to vaccines against 11 diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis (whooping cough), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), pneumococcal conjugate (PCV), polio, measles, mumps, rubella, human papillomavirus (HPV — now one dose instead of two), and varicella (chickenpox).

• This represents a reduction from 17–18 to 11 diseases universally recommended.

• The change reduces the number of doses significantly for a typical healthy child, as several high-dose or repeated vaccines (e.g., annual influenza, rotavirus series of 2–3 doses, hepatitis A series of 2 doses, meningococcal series, Respiratory Syncytial Virus [RSV], and others) are no longer broadly recommended for all children. They shift to high-risk groups or shared clinical decision-making (parent/provider choice based on individual factors).

• Exact total dose counts under the new schedule aren't explicitly quantified in official releases as a single number (unlike the old "around 60"), but the overhaul is described as cutting the routine load substantially — closer to models like Denmark's, which uses roughly a dozen total injections by adolescence (focusing on core serious diseases with fewer repeats).

Key factors driving the dose reduction:

• Removal of universal annual influenza (previously adding many doses over years).

• Elimination of routine rotavirus (2–3 early doses), hepatitis A (2 doses), broad meningococcal, and others.

• HPV reduced from 2 doses to 1 dose.

  
  

The core remaining vaccines retain their standard series (e.g., DTaP 5 doses, Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine [IPV] 4 doses, MMR 2 doses, varicella 2 doses, PCV 4 doses, Hib 3–4 doses depending on brand, etc.), but without the extras, the total injections for a fully vaccinated child drop markedly — likely to around 20–30 (depending on exact combinations and boosters), emphasizing a "simpler, slower, gentler" approach with fewer antigens/adjuvants early in life.

“Public health works only when people trust it,” Dr. Makary said. “That trust depends on transparency, rigorous science, and respect for families. This decision recommits HHS to all three.”

The accepted recommendations recognize there is a need for more and better gold standard science, including placebo-controlled randomized trials and long-term observational studies to better characterize vaccine benefits, risks, and outcomes. HHS agencies are called on to fund this gold standard science for all vaccines on the schedule.

“Science demands continuous evaluation,” Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said. “This decision commits NIH, CDC, and FDA to gold standard science, greater transparency, and ongoing reassessment as new data emerge.”

Dr. Malone explained that:

• Certain vaccines (RSV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, dengue, meningococcal ACWY, and meningococcal B) are recommended only for high-risk groups or populations, based on factors such as unusual disease exposure, underlying comorbidities, or transmission risks to vulnerable individuals.

• Others (rotavirus, COVID-19, influenza, some meningococcal and hepatitis options) fall under "shared clinical decision-making." In these cases, public health authorities cannot definitively identify universal beneficiaries, so decisions rest with physicians and parents, who consider the child's individual characteristics, family history, and specific circumstances.

  
  

All vaccines under the old and new schedule remain fully covered without cost-sharing under Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Vaccines for Children programs. The changes prioritize vaccines with international consensus for serious diseases while allowing flexibility for others.

The reform aims to reduce unnecessary exposures while maintaining protection against high-burden illnesses.