U.S. HHS Plans Childhood Vaccine Schedule Overhaul

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is preparing a major overhaul of the nation's childhood vaccine schedule, potentially reducing the number of recommended immunizations and aligning them more closely with Denmark's more limited approach. The changes, expected to be announced in early 2026 after a delay from a planned December reveal, could eliminate routine recommendations for vaccines against rotavirus, varicella (chickenpox), hepatitis A, meningococcal disease, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to officials familiar with the discussions.

Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, has directed the effort to remake the schedule, bypassing the traditional evidence-based process managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The committee, recently reconstituted with members sharing Kennedy's views, has already voted to end the universal recommendation for the hepatitis B birth dose, making it an individual decision rather than standard practice for all newborns. This shift follows Kennedy's dismissal of the panel's previous 17 members and his...