A Truth Social post shared by President Donald Trump on Sept. 26 provided multiple pieces of vaccine advice that do not align with his administration’s recent recommendations, potentially creating confusion for families navigating healthcare questions.
The post, which a statement to USA TODAY from the White House says represents the president’s personal opinion, echoes Trump’s earlier assertions that link Tylenol (acetaminophen) to autism, recommends that the MMR vaccine be given in “three totally separate shots,” the chickenpox vaccine be administered separately, and that the hepatitis B vaccine only be given to children aged 12 years old or older. The president also stressed the importance of receiving vaccines during five separate medical visits, although it was unclear which specific immunizations he was referring to.
Here’s what you need to know about the current status of federal government guidance on childhood vaccines as of September.
What is the current childhood vaccine schedule from the CDC?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) schedule recommends the following standard childhood vaccines as of Sept. 26, 2025:
Birth: First dose of the hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine.
1 month: Second dose of HepB, depending on the product used.
2 months: First doses of DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis), IPV (polio), Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), PCV (pneumococcal conjugate), and rotavirus vaccines. If the mother did not receive the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine during pregnancy, infants may also receive nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody for RSV protection.
4 months: Second doses of DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV, and rotavirus.
6 months: Third doses of DTaP, IPV, PCV, and possibly rotavirus, along with the third dose of HepB if not already given. Annual influenza vaccination begins at 6 months, with two doses recommended for children receiving it for the first time.
8-19 months, children may receive nirsevimab if not previously given and if they are at increased risk for severe RSV.
12 months: First doses of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), varicella (chickenpox), and HepA (hepatitis A). Booster doses of Hib and PCV are also given at this time.
15–18 months: Fourth dose of DTaP and may complete their Hib and PCV series.
18-23 months: Second dose of HepA, spaced at least 6 months after the first.
4–6 years: Final doses of DTaP, IPV, MMR, and varicella vaccines.
What is the current COVID-19 vaccine guidance?
As previously reported by USA TODAY, the Food and Drug Administration issued changes to COVID-19 vaccine guidance in late August. Emergency-use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines have been terminated and the Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax immunizations are now approved only for people over 65 and those with existing health conditions that make them “high risk.”
Currently, CDC guidance on COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children emphasizes “shared clinical decision-making” that is “individually based and informed by a decision process between the health care provider and the patient or parent/guardian.” The ACIP chose not to add additional recommendations separate from the FDA approvals, which include:
Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax immunizations were approved only for “those at high risk” and people over 65.
Moderna vaccine was approved for children 6 months and older with an underlying condition and people over 65.
Pfizer was approved for children over 5 years old with an underlying condition and people over 65.
Novavax was approved for those over 12 years old with an underlying condition and people over 65.
Official guidance vs. Trump’s social media post
The federal vaccine recommendation schedule, on which many decisions regarding insurance coverage and who can administer vaccines are made, is determined annually by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The committee was completely overhauled by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earlier this year in a highly controversial series of hirings and firings.
On Sept. 18, the ACIP voted to no longer recommend the MMRV vaccine, a combination vaccine that targets measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) for children younger than 4. The decision does not affect guidance for the separate MMR and varicella vaccines, however, and the ACIP did not recommend that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines be administered in three different shots. It did recommend that the varicella, or chickenpox vaccine, be given separately from the MMR.
Members also decided to “indefinitely” table a vote to recommend delaying the hepatitis B vaccine given to babies at birth. While it was considering delaying the immunization until at least one month after birth for babies who are born to mothers who test negative for hepatitis B, it ultimately decided against making any changes at this time. Children are still recommended to get the vaccine within 24 hours of birth, not after the age of 12.
The committee nearly voted to recommend that states and local jurisdictions require prescriptions for COVID-19 vaccines, but that resolution was ultimately rejected, leaving vague “individual-based decision-making” language in place.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Contributing: Adrianna Rodriguez, Zachary Schermele, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump offers thoughts on vaccine schedules. What CDC recommends.
