RFK Jr. overhauls childhood vaccine schedule to resemble Denmark's in unprecedented move

The CDC announced Monday an unprecedented overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule that recommends fewer shots to all children.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday announced an unprecedented overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule that recommends fewer shots to all children.

Under the change — effective immediately — the vaccine schedule will more closely resemble Denmark’s, recommending all children get vaccines for 11 diseases, compared with the 18 previously on the schedule.

Senior Health and Human Services Department officials said the changes are meant to restore trust in public health that spilled over from the Covid pandemic.

“The loss of trust during the pandemic not only affected the COVID-19 vaccine uptake. It also contributed to less adherence to the full CDC childhood immunization schedule, with lower rates of consensus vaccines such as measles, rubella, pertussis, and polio,” reads the scientific assessment the agency based its decision on.

The assessment said “there is a need for more and better science” on vaccines — though the new schedule doesn’t say there are specific vaccines children should not get.