RFK Wants To Shake Up Childhood Vaccines To Mirror Denmark. Here’s What That Could Mean For Parents

A new childhood vaccination schedule under Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could look a lot more like Denmark’s schedule — meaning more parental control, fewer overall shots, and nixing very early doses.

Kennedy has made it clear that he wants to overhaul how vaccines are recommended — and mandated — in the United States. So far, the secretary has handpicked a new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) panel and green-lighted changes to the Hep B and COVID vaccines.

But more changes are coming. New reports indicate that HHS wants to recommend fewer vaccines and instead encourage parents to speak to their doctors about certain shots. Denmark’s vaccine schedule is reportedly the model HHS wants to align with more closely.

In Denmark, children receive far fewer vaccines than children in the U.S. For example, the Scandinavian nation does not recommend vaccinating children against the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), hepatitis A and B, or chickenpox, among other viruses, as highlighted by The Washington Post. Compared to the U.S., Denmark recommends eight fewer vaccines against infectious diseases.

Also, in Denmark, children are recommended to get vaccinations later than in the U.S. Denmark waits until a baby is 3 months old before vaccinations, recommending zero at birth. A fully vaccinated 12-month-old child in Denmark will have received 18 vaccine doses for six diseases, according to Cyvaccine, while a 12-month-old in the U.S. will have received 43 vaccine doses for 16 diseases.

Denmark also offers parents more control over their child’s vaccinations. Recommendations are voluntary in the Scandinavian country, and not mandated for school entry, unlike in the U.S. Kennedy reportedly wants to mirror Denmark in this respect, too.

Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said such a change would put liability back on vaccine manufacturers, which is something HHS, under Kennedy, seems inclined to do.

???? Dr. Scott Gottlieb Worries That Moving the U.S. to the Denmark Vaccine Schedule Could Make Vaccine Makers Liable Again

“If they move away from recommending these vaccines and move them to a different configuration on the CDC schedule called shared clinical decision making,… pic.twitter.com/xIrDSYKrXA

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) December 22, 2025

Rumors of the shifts peaked after President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum earlier this month directing HHS to “FAST TRACK” a comprehensive evaluation of vaccine schedules. Trump directed the department to change the vaccine schedule so it more closely mirrors other developed nations, while using the “Gold Standard of Science and COMMON SENSE!”

“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,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “In fact, it is ridiculous! Many parents and scientists have been questioning the efficacy of this ‘schedule,’ as have I!”

“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!” he continued.

“I am fully confident Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and the CDC, will get this done, quickly and correctly, for our Nation’s Children,” Trump added. “Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAHA!”

Truth Social

As for more, HHS says any reports about the vaccine schedule shake-up are merely speculation. “Unless you hear it from HHS directly, this is pure speculation,” HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said.

Related: Trump Admin To Strip All Federal Funding From Hospitals That Perform Trans Procedures On Kids