Washington DC - Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have cut a number of vaccines recommended for children.

In a press release shared on Monday, the HHS announced that the agency's deputy director signed a decision memorandum to reduce the number of recommended shots from 17 to 11.

The decision comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on December 5 directing HHS to review vaccine scheduling in peer countries, and update the US schedule if one is found to be "superior."

After reviewing 20 countries, a scientific assessment released on January 2 found that "the US is a global outlier among developed nations in both the number of diseases addressed in its routine childhood vaccination schedule and the total number of recommended doses, but does not have higher vaccination rates than such countries."

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The CDC will now only recommend vaccines for DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis), Hib, pneumococcal conjugate, polio, measles, mumps and rubella, and chickenpox.

In a press call with The Hill, CDC officials claimed the move was intended to "increase confidence in the vaccine schedule and address the decreased uptake in routine vaccines such as measles."

RFK Jr. praised the move for "aligning the US childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent."

"This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health," he added in a statement.

RFK Jr. – who was a prominent anti-vaccine advocate before heading the HHS – has long sought to lower the number of routine vaccines that children in the US receive.

While he has made several other moves during his first year in office to minimize vaccines, this is by far the biggest and most sweeping.

Late last month, Kennedy was scheduled to hold a press conference in which he would announce the implementation of a vaccine schedule modeled after the country of Denmark, but it was abruptly cancelled after it was reportedly "deemed politically risky."

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In Monday's press release, HHS noted that Denmark only recommends 10 vaccines, the lowest across Europe.

The new schedule has been fiercely criticized by numerous health professionals who argue that the federal government did not provide thorough medical research or consult with vaccine experts, emphasizing that it will further decrease the public's trust in vaccines and immunization.

Dr. Helen Chu of the University of Washington told The New York Times that the new schedule is "alarming, unnecessary, and will endanger the health of children in the United States, further adding it will, "increase confusion and decrease vaccine uptake."