RFK Jr. Successfully Changes Hepatitis B Recommendations
The Vaccine Committee, led by Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., resolved to discontinue the recommendation of hepatitis B vaccination for all newborn infants.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is reportedly planning to reduce the number of doses in the recommended vaccination schedule for children.
The U.S. vaccination schedule will be “close” to Denmark’s recommendations and is expected to be announced in 2026, according to CNN. CNN first reported the story, citing anonymous sources who were not authorized to discuss the matter. The Washington Post also reported on the issue, citing anonymous sources.
“Unless we hear directly from HHS, this is just speculation,” HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon told USA TODAY on Dec. 19.
On December 5, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum directing President Kennedy to reduce recommended doses of childhood vaccines and bring the “Core Recommendations for Childhood Vaccines” into line with best practices in developed countries.
According to the memo, the United States currently recommends vaccines for 18 diseases, while Denmark (10), Japan (14) and Germany (15) have fewer.
“Research is warranted to ensure Americans have access to the best, most scientifically supported medical advice in the world,” the memo said.
In June, President Kennedy fired all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine expert panel and filled many of the positions with vaccine skeptics and people who had questioned the idea of mandating COVID-19 vaccines.
Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended its long-standing recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine. The Vaccine Advisory Committee appointed by President Kennedy voted to establish a policy of vaccinating only newborns whose mothers have tested positive for hepatitis B or whose status is unknown.
For parents who want to vaccinate their children at all costs, the committee recommended waiting until the child is at least two months old.
Public Health Watch, a project of Protect Our Care, criticized the expected move.
“Trump-Kennedy’s plan to water down the childhood vaccine schedule, denied the presence of the nation’s leading medical experts on the issue, and is clearly not based on reliable data or science,” Public Health Watchdog Kayla Hancock said in a statement. “Instead, Trump and Kennedy packed their advisory boards with fellow vaccine skeptics clinging to baseless pseudoscience to achieve their own ideological ends. But while the administration plays politics, millions of American children will be left far more vulnerable to preventable and dangerous diseases like hepatitis B.”
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is USA TODAY’s White House correspondent. You can follow her at X @SwapnaVenugopal.
