On May 29, Donald Trump endorsed a study from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommending a cutback in childhood vaccinations to align with the immunization schedules of other developed nations. Among the vaccines no longer broadly recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are hepatitis A and B.

 

The executive order directed the CDC and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to review the HHS assessment and take steps toward updating the childhood and adolescent vaccine schedule.

 

“The scientific assessment found that the United States currently recommends more childhood vaccines than any peer nation, including more than twice as many vaccine doses as some European nations, and identified a set of consensus vaccines that are consistently recommended in all peer countries,” read a statement issued by the White House statement.

 

Released in January 2026, the HHS study found that the United States recommended both a higher number of vaccinations as well as doses for children than 20 other developed countries. What’s more, the study reported that since 1980, vaccine recommendations rose more in the U.S. than in other countries.

 

As a result, vaccines for flu, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, respiratory syncytial virus (more commonly known as RSV), hepatitis A and hepatitis B are no longer being broadly recommended by the CDC.

 

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is an acute form of hepatitis, meaning it does not cause long-term or chronic infection, but it can cause mild to severe symptoms and occasionally acute liver failure, which is often fatal. Vaccination is the best way to prevent HAV. The World Health Organization estimated that 35,569 people died of HAV in 2023, accounting for 2.6% of hepatitis-related deaths worldwide.

 

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a highly contagious viral infection that can cause liver damage. Acute HBV refers to new infections that last up to six months. Chronic HBV lasts more than six months.

 

If left untreated, hepatitis B can lead to serious liver complications, like cirrhosis and liver cancer. Vaccines can prevent HAV and HBV infection and their consequences. Antiviral treatment keeps HBV replication under control, but it seldom leads to a cure.

 

To learn more about the transmission, symptoms and treatment of hepatitis A, B, C and D, read Hep’s Basics on Hepatitis.  

 

The new guidance also reduces the number of recommended vaccine doses against human papillomavirus (HPV). Certain types of HPV, a common sexually transmitted infection, can cause cervical, anal, vaginal, penile and some mouth and throat cancers, but highly effective vaccines can prevent HPV infection and complications. 

 

The HHS assessment suggested that the changes in vaccine recommendations would help restore trust in federal public health organizations, stating, “The distrust of public health agencies during the pandemic has spilled over to other recommendations made by these agencies, including those with respect to vaccines.” However, some medical experts have expressed concerns about the mandate.

 

“Abandoning recommendations for vaccines that prevent influenza, hepatitis and rotavirus and changing the recommendation for HPV without a public process to weigh the risks and benefits will lead to more hospitalizations and preventable deaths among American children,” epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, member of the University of Minnesota’s Vaccine Integrity Project, told the The Associated Press.

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) opposed the HHS study’s findings in a statement following its publication.

 

“AAP continues to recommend that children be immunized against these diseases, and for good reason; thanks to widespread childhood immunizations, the United States has fewer pediatric hospitalizations and fewer children facing serious health challenges than we would without this community protection,” said Andrew D. Racine,  MD, PhD, FAAP, in a January news release from AAP.