President Donald Trump is moving to reshape the federal government’s recommendations for childhood vaccinations, reducing the number of diseases covered by the routine schedule and ending the recommendation that children receive COVID-19 Vaccines.
According to Fox News, Trump announced the changes Monday after signing an executive order directing the administration to establish what officials are calling the "Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations."
The revised guidance recommends immunizations against 11 diseases, compared with 18 listed under the current CDC schedule.
The administration also wants children to receive Vaccines across five separate medical visits rather than receiving multiple shots during the same appointment.
"I think you're going to see some amazing results [by] breaking it up," Trump said in the Oval Office.
Trump has previously criticized the practice of giving young children several Vaccines during a single visit.
Under the new recommendations, officials are emphasizing a more individualized approach, particularly for children considered to be at higher risk.
The administration's memo calls for "individualized decisions for higher-risk children through shared clinical decision-making," giving parents and medical professionals a larger role in determining the timing of vaccinations.
The recommendations also call for the measles, mumps and rubella Vaccines to be administered separately rather than as the combined MMR shot.
Trump said the changes are intended to give families greater control while bringing the U.S. schedule closer to those used in other developed countries.
"Parents can still choose to give their children all of the vaccinations if they wish, it's up to the parents," Trump said. "We're making recommendations that are strong – but it's up to the parents if they wish."
An HHS review comparing U.S. vaccination practices with those in European countries found that American children are generally recommended to receive more Vaccines than children in several peer nations.
The executive order also directs the Justice Department to challenge states that the administration believes improperly restrict religious or medical exemptions from childhood vaccination requirements.
Trump's move is part of his administration's broader "Make America Healthy Again" initiative, known as MAHA.
The effort grew out of a commission created by Trump to examine childhood chronic diseases and other health issues.
The administration says the review produced more than 120 proposed initiatives to address childhood health problems.
The new vaccine recommendations do not prevent parents from choosing vaccinations outside the revised schedule. Instead, the administration says the changes are intended to give families more flexibility over which Vaccines their children receive and when.