Judge Blocks US Government from Scaling Back Vaccine Recommendations

Temporary order halts Health Secretary Kennedy's plan to reduce recommended childhood vaccinations

Mar. 18, 2026 at 1:07am

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A federal judge has temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from cutting the number of vaccines recommended for all children, and said Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likely violated federal procedures in overhauling the key vaccine advisory committee.

Why it matters

The judge's order is a significant setback for Kennedy, a prominent anti-vaccine activist who became the nation's top health official. It preserves the existing childhood vaccine schedule that is supported by major medical groups, while raising questions about Kennedy's ability to reshape vaccine policy based on his personal views.

The details

The judge's temporary order halts an announcement made by Kennedy in January to end broad recommendations for children to be vaccinated against the flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV. It also stops a meeting of a Kennedy-appointed vaccine advisory committee that was set to convene this week in Atlanta. The judge said Kennedy's reconstitution of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) likely violated federal law.

  • On January 1, 2026, Kennedy announced plans to scale back recommended childhood vaccinations.
  • On March 17, 2026, a federal judge issued a temporary order blocking Kennedy's vaccine policy changes.
  • The ACIP committee, reconstituted by Kennedy, was scheduled to meet this week but the gathering was postponed due to the judge's order.

The players

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The U.S. Health Secretary and a leading anti-vaccine activist who has taken steps to reshape the nation's vaccine policies since taking office.

Judge Brian E. Murphy

A federal judge in Boston who issued the temporary order blocking Kennedy's vaccine policy changes, saying they likely violated federal procedures.

American Academy of Pediatrics

One of the medical groups that filed the lawsuit challenging Kennedy's vaccine policy changes.

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)

The key federal vaccine advisory committee that Kennedy fired and reconstituted with several anti-vaccine voices, which the judge ruled was likely unlawful.

Dr. Robert Malone

One of Kennedy's appointees to the reconstituted ACIP committee, who urged the Trump administration to keep pursuing Kennedy's vaccine policy changes.

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What they’re saying

“A district court order is a delay, not a defeat.”

— Dr. Robert Malone, ACIP Committee Member (Substack)

“If anyone has any questions about what's the appropriate vaccine schedule for their children, the best thing to do is to talk to their pediatricians.”

— Dr. Andrew Racine, President, American Academy of Pediatrics

“ACIP as currently constituted cannot meet. How can a committee meet without nearly the entirety of its membership?”

— Richard Hughes IV, Attorney, American Academy of Pediatrics

What’s next

The judge's temporary order will remain in place pending either a trial or a decision for summary judgment. Federal health officials have indicated they plan to appeal the ruling.

The takeaway

The judge's order represents a major setback for Health Secretary Kennedy's efforts to reshape the nation's vaccine policies based on his personal anti-vaccine views, rather than scientific evidence. It preserves the existing childhood vaccine schedule and raises questions about Kennedy's ability to unilaterally overhaul the federal vaccine advisory process.