Trump Directs Agencies to Review HHS Study Finding U.S. Recommends More Childhood Vaccines Than Peer Nations

President Trump issued an executive order on Friday, May 29, 2026, endorsing a January study by the Department of Health and Human Services that calls for cutting the number of vaccines recommended for every American child. The order directs federal agencies to align their policies behind the study, which found that the United States recommends more childhood vaccines than many peer nations.

The January HHS study recommends vaccinating all children against 11 diseases.

That includes vaccines for flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV. Trump’s order directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to review the study and “take any appropriate steps” to update its vaccine recommendations.

It says the CDC should “provide maximum flexibility to parents and doctors” and directs agencies to make sure all actions, regulations and funding are aligned with the study.

The order adds that any changes should ensure that Americans retain their current access to vaccines. The Trump administration previously moved to narrow the number of recommended childhood vaccines in response to the report, but the move was blocked by a federal judge in Massachusetts. The administration is appealing the decision.

Trump directed the Department of Health and Human Services to carry out the study in December. The January report found that vaccine recommendations for American children had increased in recent decades. It also highlighted countries where no vaccines are required to attend school.

States, not the federal government, have the authority to require vaccinations for schoolchildren. While CDC requirements often influence those state regulations, some states have begun creating their own alliances to counter the Trump administration’s guidance on vaccines.