President Trump on Friday night directed his top health officials to review all childhood vaccination recommendations in the United States and consider aligning them with practices from other developed countries. The order comes shortly after a federal advisory panel, handpicked by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted to remove the longstanding recommendation that all infants receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth.
Trump praised the panel’s decision in a Truth Social post, saying it was a “very good decision to END their Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation for babies, the vast majority of whom are at NO RISK of Hepatitis B.” The president’s memorandum instructs Kennedy and the CDC director to review scientific evidence and best practices from peer nations for core childhood vaccines and, if warranted, update the U.S. vaccine schedule accordingly, while maintaining access to vaccines currently available to Americans. Kennedy acknowledged the directive, stating on X, “Thank you, Mr. President. We’re on it.” Medical groups criticized the move, with the American Medical Association warning that altering the hepatitis B recommendation “undermines decades of public confidence in a proven, lifesaving vaccine” and could create confusion for parents.