Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., praised Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s move to scale back recommended childhood vaccines Tuesday morning, calling it a major step toward restoring public confidence in federal health guidance.
Appearing on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America,” Marshall, who is also a physician, said the change signals a reset for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after years of growing skepticism following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marshall backed health officials’ decision to reduce the number of diseases children are routinely vaccinated against from 17 to 11, arguing the previous schedule had become overly broad and contributed to public distrust.
“I think this is a great step in the right direction, most importantly, to restore the trust of the American people in the CDC,” he said. “We did have 17 different viruses that we were vaccinating against. We decreased that to 11.”
He emphasized that vaccines should be treated like other medicines — decisions made through individualized consultation rather than rigid, one-size-fits-all expectations.
“These vaccines are a medicine of sorts,” Marshall said, adding that parents should discuss “the pros and cons, the risks and benefits” with their physician before moving forward.
The Kansas Republican argued that the policy shift supports what he called the “sanctity” of the doctor-patient relationship, placing medical decisions in the hands of families and their trusted providers rather than government agencies.
“So, let’s put this back in the hands of your good doctor and patients,” he said. “I have faith in Americans that they’ll make the right decision what’s best for their child.”
Marshall also noted that health officials have divided vaccine guidance into three categories, including vaccines they recommend for all Americans, vaccines recommended for high-risk situations, and vaccines where circumstances may vary.
He said he does not necessarily agree with the “every American should have” list, suggesting more discussion is needed about which immunizations truly belong in a universal category.
Marshall pointed to hepatitis vaccines as an example of a recommendation that may make more sense for certain families based on exposure risk, while citing the flu vaccine as a situation-dependent decision.
“There’s the ones like the flu vaccine that I think it kind of depends on the situation,” he said.
The senator framed the revised schedule as part of a broader effort to rebuild trust in national health institutions following years of controversy over COVID-era mandates and shifting public messaging.
He urged parents to ask questions and rely on their physicians to determine what is appropriate for each child’s needs, rather than assuming every recommendation should be automatic.
Marshall said the goal should be transparency and individualized care — a message he argued would strengthen confidence in vaccination overall and encourage families to make informed choices.
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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