MAHA Wants US to Emulate Denmark's Vaccine Policy

Critics say the comparison is flawed due to key differences between the two countries.

Feb. 12, 2026 at 9:23am

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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his 'Make America Healthy Again' (MAHA) allies have repeatedly called for the U.S. to emulate Denmark's more lax vaccine policy, which recommends fewer childhood vaccines than the U.S. However, experts argue the comparison is flawed, as Denmark has a universal healthcare system and a much smaller population than the U.S.

Why it matters

The MAHA agenda's focus on Denmark as a model for U.S. vaccine policy has confounded lawmakers and sparked criticism from public health experts, who argue the two countries are vastly different in terms of healthcare systems and population size.

The details

Denmark recommends vaccines against 10 diseases, among the lowest of higher-income countries, while the U.S. previously recommended more than twice as many vaccines. MAHA argues the U.S. was an outlier in its vaccine policy, but experts say the U.S. was not significantly an outlier compared to other Western European nations. Critics argue the U.S. shouldn't simply copy and paste other countries' policies without understanding their underlying healthcare systems and structures.

  • In December 2025, the acting director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research gave a presentation to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices arguing the U.S. should avoid 'overmedicalizing childhood' and that 'time in pediatricians' offices can be spent differently'.

The players

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Health and Human Services Secretary and founder of the 'Make America Healthy Again' (MAHA) group, which has called for the U.S. to emulate Denmark's more lax vaccine policy.

Giridhar Mallya

Senior policy officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, who argues the focus on Denmark is 'starting with the answer and then setting up the questions in a way that you land on Denmark as the answer'.

Reginald Williams II

Senior vice president of Commonwealth Fund, who says Denmark's universal healthcare system allows it to 'deploy a robust public health system' in a way the U.S. cannot.

Tracy Beth Høeg

Acting director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, who gave a presentation arguing the U.S. should avoid 'overmedicalizing childhood'.

Jake Scott

Clinical associate professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, who says the selection of Denmark as a model was 'not the result of this rigorous policy analysis' but because it 'has the most minimalist vaccine schedule in the developed world'.

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What they’re saying

“The focus on Denmark is starting with the answer and then setting up the questions in a way that you land on Denmark as the answer.”

— Giridhar Mallya, Senior policy officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (The Hill)

“When you're a country of 6 million people, you have the ability to deploy a robust public health system to address outbreaks or to address specific population needs, because you know from your universal system who are the people that need care. And you have the public resources to then push people into addressing that very specific issue in a laser-targeted way that we simply just don't have in the U.S.”

— Reginald Williams II, Senior vice president, Commonwealth Fund (The Hill)

“If you're wealthy from Boston, you're going to have one experience. And if you're less wealthy, if you're poor from a rural town in Louisiana, you're going to have another. If we pattern after the place that is wealthy, we're not meeting the needs of those that are poor.”

— Bill Cassidy, U.S. Senator (R-LA) (The Hill)

What’s next

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will continue to review the U.S. vaccine schedule and consider any potential changes.

The takeaway

The MAHA agenda's focus on Denmark as a model for U.S. vaccine policy highlights the challenges of directly applying policies from one country to another with vastly different healthcare systems and population sizes. Experts argue the U.S. should carefully analyze the unique factors and needs of its own population rather than simply copying another nation's approach.