President Trump signed Friday an executive order backing a revamped childhood vaccine schedule tied to Denmark’s recommendations, drawing fierce criticism from the American Medical Association. AMA President Bobby Mukkamala called the move baseless, stating there’s no credible scientific evidence to justify aligning U.S. policies with Denmark’s system, which serves a population of 5.8 million under universal healthcare. He emphasized the current U.S. schedule, developed over decades, prioritizes American disease risks like rotavirus and influenza, which Denmark’s smaller, homogenous population doesn’t face.**

The plan originated with anti-vaccine Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who unveiled the Denmark strategy in January. It seeks to cut recommended vaccines from 17 to 11, excluding shots for hepatitis B, meningococcal disease, and others. The Trump administration’s “comprehensive scientific assessment”—authored by non-experts Tracy Beth Høeg (a sports medicine doctor) and Martin Kulldorff (a biostatistician)—was conducted by political allies of Kennedy, lacking expertise in vaccine policy. A federal judge temporarily halted the changes in March, ruling Kennedy violated regulations.**

Despite a court injunction, the new order reaffirms the administration’s commitment to the Denmark model, declaring the flawed assessment a “guiding resource” and urging the CDC to update schedules. Critics argue this undermines public health safeguards, prioritizing ideology over data. The move risks eroding trust in science and weakening immunization programs protecting vulnerable children.