FDA nominee Heidi Overton drove memo that cut U.S. child vaccine schedule

Heidi Overton, nominated by President Donald Trump to head the Food and Drug Administration, played a central role in shaping the scientific rationale that enabled the administration to trim the CDC’s childhood vaccine recommendations from 17 to 11 in January. As an aide on the Domestic Policy Council, she edited and assembled the memo that underpinned the change, working closely with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and senior officials including former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, Mehmet Oz, Jay Bhattacharya, and HHS senior staff.

The revised schedule was adopted after a decision memo signed by former Health Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, but it faced legal challenges from the American Academy of Pediatrics, resulting in a federal judge’s hold in March. Overton’s involvement was not fully disclosed during her Senate confirmation hearing, where she affirmed the safety of all FDA-approved vaccines. The Senate health committee has not yet voted on her confirmation, postponing the decision to the lame-duck session. While some view her work as reflecting typical White House policy coordination, others contend it signals a deeper commitment to the administration’s vaccine-reduction agenda.