U.S. Considers Denmark's Vaccine Schedule, But Experts Warn of Key Differences

The U.S. government is exploring a major change to its official childhood vaccine schedule. The proposal would move U.S. recommendations closer to those used in some other developed nations, including Denmark. However, leading public health experts caution that direct comparison is misleading. They stress that the U.S. and Denmark have vastly different healthcare systems and disease landscapes. Denmark's schedule delays some shots, like the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, until a child is 15 months old. The U.S. currently recommends the first MMR dose at 12 to 15 months. Danish health authorities can do this because of extremely high public trust, near-universal healthcare access, and very low rates of disease outbreaks. In contrast, the U.S. has more frequent disease outbreaks, lower vaccination rates in some communities, and millions without easy access to routine care. Experts argue that adopting a Danish-style schedule in America could risk dangerous resurgences of preventable diseases. The discussion highlights the complex balance between tailoring vaccine timing and maintaining strong community-wide protection, known as "herd immunity."