Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in his role overseeing public health, has announced the withdrawal of federal recommendations for key childhood vaccines, including those for hepatitis A and B, meningococcal disease, rotavirus, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus. This decision, made last week, applies except in specific circumstances following consultation with a healthcare provider. The move is part of broader efforts under the Trump administration that have already impacted global health programs and domestic immunization efforts.
The announcement by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. marks a significant shift in U.S. childhood vaccination policy. Last year, following his appointment, Kennedy purged the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, replacing members with allies. This led to the withdrawal of recommendations for the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine and COVID-19 vaccinations for infants and pregnant mothers. None of these changes were grounded in scientific evidence, according to critics, but rather in Kennedy's long-standing opposition to vaccines.
More recently, in a fiat decision issued last week—around early January 2026—Kennedy stated that the U.S. will no longer recommend vaccinations for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease, rotavirus, influenza, or respiratory syncytial virus for children, except under certain conditions after provider consultation. Public health experts warn that while some infections like hepatitis B may take years to resurge, others such as rotavirus could return quickly.
These actions have already contributed to declining vaccination rates. Coverage for measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines has dropped to dangerous levels, raising risks of outbreaks and the reestablishment of these diseases as endemic in the U.S. Compounding this, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has instructed states to stop reporting vaccination coverage to the federal government.
The policy changes occur amid wider administration efforts affecting public health. Globally, the closure of USAID and cuts to programs for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, polio eradication, and maternal-child health have been linked to significant mortality. As Atul Gawande noted in a November 2025 New Yorker article, the USAID dismantling had caused an estimated 600,000 deaths by November 5, 2025, with two-thirds being children.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought have denied responsibility for these deaths. A ProPublica report described administration officials celebrating budget cuts with a party in February 2025, complete with speeches and a sheet cake.
Kennedy's influence extends further: he is targeting the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which ensures access to screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies, and has cut $2 billion in funding for addiction and mental health services through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
In response, professional societies, states, scientists, clinicians, and advocacy groups are pushing back through alternative recommendations, lawsuits, and public advocacy. Author Gregg Gonsalves proposes a post-administration Truth and Reconciliation Commission starting in 2029 to hold officials accountable, including Kennedy, Rubio, Vought, and others like Marty Makary, Vinay Prasad, and Jay Bhattacharya.
