WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump has issued an executive order calling for a new approach to childhood vaccine recommendations, emphasizing individualized risk assessments, parental involvement and additional review of how vaccines are recommended and administered.
The order, titled “Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans,” directs changes to the federal framework governing childhood immunization recommendations.
According to Independent Women, a conservative policy organization that supports the changes, the new framework maintains universal recommendations for vaccines against 11 diseases while placing other vaccines into categories based on individual risk and shared decision-making between parents and physicians.
The organization said the order also calls for greater flexibility in the timing and sequencing of childhood vaccines, as well as additional research into vaccine administration and vaccine ingredients.
The administration’s move represents a significant shift in how childhood immunization policy is being approached, with greater emphasis placed on individual circumstances rather than applying the same recommendations uniformly to all children.
Dr. Monique Yohanan, director of the Center for Better Health at Independent Women, said the change represents a recalibration of federal vaccine policy.
“Precision public health means balancing community protection with individual risk, continually working to make vaccines as safe as possible, and respecting parents as partners in their children’s health,” Yohanan said.
Yohanan, a physician and public health expert, has previously advocated for changes to the childhood vaccine schedule. Her 2025 policy paper, “Rethinking Vaccine Policy: A Case for Humility, Precision, and Parental Partnership,” argues that some vaccines and diseases should be evaluated differently based on whether they primarily provide community protection or individual protection.
The paper specifically raises questions about the timing and universal recommendation of certain childhood vaccines, including hepatitis B.
Independent Women divides vaccines into three categories in its policy proposal: vaccines that provide significant herd immunity, vaccines involving community transmission and vaccines that primarily provide individual protection.
The organization argues that the distinctions should be considered when determining how and when vaccines are recommended.
The executive order also comes as federal health officials continue to face questions over vaccine confidence and public trust. Supporters of the new approach say greater transparency and parental involvement could increase confidence in recommended vaccines.
Public health experts have long emphasized that childhood vaccination protects individuals and, for certain diseases, helps reduce transmission throughout communities. The degree of community protection varies by disease and vaccine.
Independent Women welcomed the executive order, describing it as a move toward a more individualized vaccine policy while maintaining access to childhood immunizations.
The organization also produced a two-part documentary series, “A Dose of Humility,” examining vaccine policy, the benefits and risks of vaccination and the economics surrounding vaccines.
The executive order directs federal agencies to implement the administration’s new vaccine-policy framework and conduct additional reviews and research as part of the process.
