Experts Warn Against Mimicking Denmark’s Vaccine Policy for U.S. Children

Washington, D.C. – Experts are cautioning against the Trump administration’s idea to adopt Denmark‘s childhood vaccination policies in the United States. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his criticism of vaccines, asserted that American children receive too many vaccinations. President Trump directed Kennedy to align U.S. vaccine recommendations with peer nations, specifically pointing to Denmark.

Denmark has a smaller vaccine schedule, recommending routine vaccinations against just 10 diseases, in contrast to the 16 diseases recommended in the U.S. Critics argue that simply importing another nation’s vaccination strategy is impractical. “It’s like fitting a square peg in a round hole when our goal is to prevent disease,” says a public health policy expert from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The differences in population health metrics, system infrastructure, and cultural contexts between Denmark and the U.S. are significant. For example, Denmark’s population is around 6 million, similar to Wisconsin, while the U.S. is much larger and more diverse ethnically. Denmark also boasts a unified health-care system that efficiently tracks health records.

Additionally, Danish families enjoy up to a year of paid parental leave, reducing the potential for exposure to diseases in infants, and they have access to free health care. In contrast, U.S. citizens face challenges such as fragmented insurance and millions lacking coverage. Experts highlight these factors as reasons why Denmark’s model does not translate well to the U.S.

Health specialists, including those from Johns Hopkins University, assert that the U.S. focuses on disease prevention due to different public health challenges, such as higher rates of childhood obesity and asthma. Scaling back vaccinations could jeopardize child health in the U.S., some note. “It’s like, what diseases do they want to bring back to the U.S.?” said a professor of pediatrics.

Trump described the U.S. as a high outlier for vaccinations compared to other countries, but critics state that countries like Germany, France, and Italy recommend even more vaccines than the U.S. Moreover, it’s unclear what specific changes the administration will pursue regarding childhood vaccination schedules.

Following the announcement of a planned update on children’s health policies, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services postponed a press conference regarding potential changes. Legal experts believe any overhaul of vaccine policy may require ongoing procedures, exposing the administration to legal challenges.