Trump orders national review of vaccination schedule after CDC changes guidance on Hepatitis B in newborns

On Friday, President Donald Trump ordered a comprehensive federal review of the childhood vaccination schedule in the United States, hours after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to withdraw the recommendation to administer the Hepatitis B vaccine immediately after birth in healthy infants. That guidance, in effect for decades, must still go through internal CDC processes before being formalized.

The president announced the measure through a public statement in which he celebrated the change approved by the committee and questioned the total volume of immunizations included in the U.S. infant schedule. In his message, Trump wrote:

"Today, the CDC Vaccine Committee made 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, a disease that is mostly transmitted sexually, or through dirty needles. The American Childhood Vaccine Schedule long required 72 'jabs,' for perfectly healthy babies, far more than any other Country in the World, and far more than is necessary. In fact, it is ridiculous! Many parents and scientists have been questioning the efficacy of this 'schedule,' as have I! That is why I have just signed a Presidential Memorandum directing the Department of Health and Human Services to 'FAST TRACK' a comprehensive evaluation of Vaccine Schedules from other Countries around the World, and better align the U.S. Vaccine Schedule, so it is finally rooted in the Gold Standard of Science and COMMON SENSE! I am fully confident Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and the CDC, will get this done, quickly and correctly, for our Nation’s Children."

The president's assertions about risk levels, vaccine efficacy, and the number of doses required are part of his political positioning and were not accompanied by scientific evidence presented by the White House. The ACIP recommendations, according to the CDC itself, are based on technical analyses and peer-reviewed studies, although federal authorities retain the power to order procedural or comparative reviews.

The president's decision comes amid national debate over the roles of scientific agencies and the CDC's autonomy in clinical guideline development. It also marks the first direct intervention by the health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in a particularly sensitive area of public policy.

As HHS begins the review ordered by Trump, medical organizations and public health experts continue to assess the impact the preliminary modification could have on the Hepatitis B vaccine and any potential changes to the children's schedule. The White House did not issue additional comment beyond the president's message.