Washington DC - Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently admitted that he thinks the US would be better off if fewer children received the flu vaccine.

Earlier this week, the HHS announced the signing of a decision memorandum that reduced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) number of recommended shots children should receive from 17 to 11, one of which was for influenza.

In a recent interview with CBS News, Kennedy – who was a prominent anti-vaccine advocate prior to his role as head of HHS – defended the move, and insisted he and President Donald Trump's administration are not trying to take vaccines away completely.

When pressed on the fact that getting the flu vaccine for children now requires consultation with a physician instead of getting it for free from a pharmacy, Kennedy described it as a "shared decision" with a doctor, "which is how it ought to be."

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When asked directly if that means fewer children will get the vaccine, Kennedy confirmed, adding, "Maybe that's a better thing."

The health secretary then cited a study that he said found there to be "no scientific evidence that the flu vaccine prevents serious illness, hospitalizations, or death in children."

During the interview, CBS reporter Nancy Cordes pointed out that last year, 280,290 children died from the flu, and 90% of children that died from the flu in 2024 were unvaccinated according to CDC data.