The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Jan. 5 announced an overhaul of the U.S. childhood immunization schedule, removing COVID and flu shots from the vaccines automatically recommended to all parents of young children.
The decision follows a December 2025 directive from President Donald Trump instructing health officials to review international best practices and recommend updates if superior models existed abroad.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the move in a release Monday. The CDC operates under HHS.
“President Trump directed us to examine how other developed nations protect their children and to take action if they are doing better,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the release.
The updated schedule shifts the U.S. approach closer to those of international peers like Denmark by reducing the number of diseases for which the U.S. government recommends all children undergo vaccination. The number of diseases is now 11, down from 18.
PROMISE MADE. PROMISE KEPT.
Thank you, President Trump!
pic.twitter.com/hBgkOiDWdU
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 5, 2026
The update is not a new law or mandate, but a federal recommendation that physicians and insurers typically follow. While vaccine requirements for school entry remain under state control, the new guidelines are likely to influence future state policies.
“The data support a more focused schedule that protects children from the most serious infectious diseases while improving clarity, adherence, and public confidence,” said Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill in the release.
According to a HHS.gov fact sheet, the new schedule is now organized into three categories:
- Recommended for All Children (11 diseases):
- Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
- Polio
- Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
- Varicella (chickenpox)
- Pneumococcal disease
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Recommended for High-Risk Groups (e.g., immunocompromised children or travelers):
- Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B
- Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
- Dengue, certain meningococcal vaccines
- Shared Clinical Decision-Making:
- COVID-19, Influenza, Rotavirus, and others
(Parents decide with their doctor whether these are right for their child.)
- COVID-19, Influenza, Rotavirus, and others
Under the new recommendations, fewer vaccines will be automatically recommended to parents of young children, particularly flu and COVID shots. But every vaccine remains available. The new schedule aims to let families tailor choices to their needs.
“This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health,” Kennedy said in the release.
The revision is a response to mounting concerns about falling public trust, lower vaccine uptake, and skepticism following the controversial public health policies that followed the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary stated in the Jan. 5 release “Public health works only when people trust it. That trust depends on transparency, rigorous science, and respect for families. This decision recommits HHS to all three.”
The post CDC cuts childhood vaccine schedule from 18 to 11, removing COVID and flu shots appeared first on CatholicVote org.