‘Protecting religious liberty and parental authority’: Challenging expert guidance, Trump signs off on Kennedy’s gutting of childhood vaccine schedule

President Trump is signing off on a decision from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) earlier this year to cut down on the number of required vaccinations for children. 

The president endorsed these adjusted immunization requirements in an executive order on [May 29, 2026]. Trump cited his administration’s commitment to “protecting religious liberty and parental authority” in the order. 

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reduced its recommended number of vaccinations for children from 17 to 11 earlier this year. The CDC now recommends that parents and physicians should be left to determine whether children need shots for diseases like the flu, COVID-19 and rotavirus. 

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While only states have the power to require vaccinations, the CDC sets national standards through its immunization recommendations. The schedule also guides which vaccines are covered by insurance. 

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, has led the push for reduced vaccine requirements for children.

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