Trump tells agencies to align with study calling for narrower childhood
vaccine recommendations
[May 30, 2026]
By COLLIN BINKLEY
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday gave his endorsement
to a January study by the Department of Health and Human Services that
calls for cutting the number of vaccines recommended for every American
child.
An executive order from Trump directs federal agencies to align their
policies behind the study, which recommended an overhaul long called for
by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The study found that the
United States recommends more childhood vaccines than many peer nations.
The Trump administration previously moved to narrow the number of
recommended childhood vaccines in response to the report, but the move
was blocked by a federal judge in Massachusetts. The administration is
appealing the decision.
The study recommends vaccinating all children against 11 diseases.
Several others would be recommended only for high-risk groups or when
doctors recommend them in what’s called “shared decision-making.” That
includes vaccines for flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some
forms of meningitis and RSV.
Trump's order adds weight behind the study at a time when the
administration had appeared to be trying to shift focus away from
Kennedy's more contentious vaccine policies and toward more mainstream
topics like healthy eating.
The order directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to
review the study and “take any appropriate steps” to update its vaccine
recommendations. It says the CDC should “provide maximum flexibility to
parents and doctors" and directs agencies to make sure all actions,
regulations and funding are aligned with the study.
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Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,
listens during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, May
27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
 The order adds that any changes
should ensure that Americans retain their current access to
vaccines.
States, not the federal government, have the authority to require
vaccinations for schoolchildren. While CDC requirements often
influence those state regulations, some states have begun creating
their own alliances to counter the Trump administration’s guidance
on vaccines.
Trump directed HHS to carry out the study in December.
Kennedy is a longtime activist against vaccines and has sought ways
to inject his skepticism about the shots into national guidance.
Last year, he announced the CDC would no longer recommend COVID-19
vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women, a move questions
by public health experts who saw no new data to justify the change.
Last June, he fired a 17-member CDC vaccine advisory committee and
later installed several of his own replacements, including multiple
vaccine skeptics.
The January report found that vaccine recommendations for American
children had increased in recent decades. It also highlighted
countries where no vaccines are required to attend school.
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