The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to “overhaul” the recommended childhood vaccine schedule, according to recent reports. The unfinalized proposal—subject to potential revisions—could recommend fewer vaccinations than current guidelines.

Sources indicate the revised schedule may align closely with or match recommendations used in Denmark, though the identity of the source remains undisclosed due to authorization restrictions. HHS had initially scheduled an announcement for Friday afternoon but postponed it until 2026 to avoid conflicting with White House initiatives aimed at lowering drug costs through “Most Favored Nation” pricing.

An HHS spokesperson declined to comment directly, directing inquiries to the agency’s prior statement that a “children’s health announcement” would be delayed until next year.

This shift follows President Donald Trump’s directive earlier this month for officials to review global vaccine schedules and align U.S. recommendations accordingly. In a Truth Social post, Trump criticized the current schedule as requiring “72 vaccines” for healthy infants—a figure he did not substantiate.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), hand-selected by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., recently voted 8-3 to eliminate blanket recommendations for administering the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, urging instead consultation with healthcare providers and individual decision-making.

Currently, the U.S. recommends vaccinations against 17 diseases, more than most nations, reflecting higher disease prevalence in certain regions. Denmark, by contrast, does not recommend respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines for children—despite RSV being the leading cause of infant hospitalizations in the United States, per CDC data. Denmark also addresses a distinct set of infectious disease risks with fewer vaccine recommendations across 10 diseases.

The HHS plan remains unconfirmed and may evolve before implementation.