RFK Jr. guts the US childhood vaccine schedule despite its decades-long safety record

In an unprecedented move, health officials cut the number of vaccines routinely recommended for children from 17 to 11.

By: Jake Scott, Stanford University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 6, 2026

Words: 1,502

Last Updated: 2 days, 13 hours ago

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By Jake Scott, Stanford University

The Trump administration’s overhauling of the decades-old childhood vaccination schedule, announced by federal health officials on Jan. 5, 2026, has raised alarm among public health experts and pediatricians.

The U.S. childhood immunization schedule, the grid of colored bars pediatricians share with parents, recommends a set of vaccines given from birth through adolescence to prevent a range of serious infections. The basic structure has been in place since 1995, when …

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