Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced sweeping changes to healthcare provision in the United States starting in 2026. He took to X to reveal that the Donald Trump administration will be removing several measures related to pediatric and prenatal immunization.
This move has been a long time coming, considering the rhetoric RFK Jr. has shared even before joining the administration. He said, “Government bureaucracies should never coerce doctors or families into accepting vaccines or penalize physicians for respecting patient choice. That practice ends now. Under the Trump administration, HHS will protect informed consent, respect religious liberty, and uphold medical freedom.”
Thank you, @robbystarbuck, for bringing attention to this update.
— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) December 31, 2025
Government bureaucracies should never coerce doctors or families into accepting vaccines or penalize physicians for respecting patient choice. That practice ends now.
Under the Trump administration, HHS will… https://t.co/hmKs17svzf
The sweeping changes extend to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where RFK Jr. cleared house not too long ago. Whereas the official website once expressed concern over long COVID and its effects on even younger individuals — suggesting that all Americans over six months old receive updated vaccines — the CDC now leaves those decisions up to individuals and their doctors.
The CDC also went on to clarify its official stance on autism. Much has already been said about the condition, ranging from claims that Tylenol causes it to suggestions that bleach could be a possible cure.
But wait, it gets worse
One long-running debate has centered on whether vaccines are the cause of autism. Doctors across the world have vehemently denied the claim, citing the lack of definitive proof. The concern is that such assertions could make the public fearful of life-saving vaccines and risk the return of epidemics like measles.
Worryingly, the CDC released a statement on New Year’s Day which read, “The claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.”
Under standard circumstances, the burden of proof lies with those making the claim. But under the Trump administration, that dynamic has shifted. With funding now in question, healthcare professionals are being forced to prove a negative. For MAGA and MAHA loyalists, evidence has repeatedly taken a backseat.
The measures being removed by RFK Jr. include childhood immunization status, immunization for adolescents, and prenatal immunization status. Conservatives celebrated the announcement, with Robby Starbuck stating, “In the past, some providers avoided patients with religious objections to vaccines because it could hurt their ratings and payments. That perverse incentive is now gone.”
HHS also announced through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that postpartum and prenatal depression screening will now shift to a voluntary reporting measure when assessing healthcare quality. It remains to be seen how this will affect healthcare provision in the United States.
Published: Jan 2, 2026 08:53 am