Overview
- Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. canceled a planned press event where he was expected to promote Denmark’s slimmer childhood schedule after HHS lawyers warned of legal and political hazards, according to multiple reports.
- Reporting indicates HHS is preparing a proposal and has delayed any decisions into the new year, while an HHS spokesperson said outside claims about adopting Denmark’s schedule are speculation unless confirmed by the department.
- President Trump earlier directed health officials to align core childhood recommendations with peer countries, providing the policy backdrop for considering a Denmark-like approach.
- Some advocates argue that reclassifying vaccines as non-routine could undermine federal liability protections for manufacturers, a reading vaccine-law experts dispute as courts would likely decide how the statute applies.
- Public health experts, including Danish officials, caution that Denmark’s leaner list—covering about 10 diseases versus 16–18 in the U.S.—reflects its universal care and screening systems and may not be appropriate for U.S. conditions.