WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald J. Trump announced Monday that his administration has implemented a new federal childhood vaccination schedule that dramatically reduces the number of recommended immunizations for children in the United States, marking a major shift in national public health policy.
In a post shared on his official social media accounts, Trump said the revised schedule will limit recommended childhood vaccinations to 11 diseases, down from the current list of more than 70 doses typically administered from birth through adolescence. The change, he said, brings the U.S. “in line with other developed nations.”
The announcement credits several key administration officials for developing the plan, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CDC Acting Director Jim O’Neil, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya. Trump called the new policy “rooted in the gold standard of science” and said parents will retain the option to continue following the full immunization schedule if they wish, with full insurance coverage still available.
While the administration described the move as a “common sense reform,” it is expected to draw strong reaction from medical organizations and public health experts who have long warned against reducing vaccination rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Academy of Pediatrics have previously maintained that adherence to the existing schedule is critical to preventing outbreaks of diseases such as measles, polio, and whooping cough.
The revised guidelines are effective immediately, according to the statement. Further details on the implementation timeline and potential changes to school immunization requirements have not yet been released.