Science Vs Vaccines: Does Europe Do Them Better?
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Jan 15, 2026 
Professor Jens Lundgren, an infectious disease expert from the University of Copenhagen, shares insights on Denmark's vaccine strategies, emphasizing how they consider disease prevalence and health system capacity. He discusses the U.S.'s recent drastic reduction in recommended childhood vaccines and contrasts it with Denmark’s targeted approach. Lundgren and pediatrician David Higgins address the complexities of simply mirroring another country's schedule, predicting potential confusion and decreased access in the U.S. They highlight the importance of adapting to local contexts for effective vaccination policies.
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CDC Cites Peer Nations For New Guidance
- The CDC reduced routine childhood vaccine recommendations from 17 diseases to 11 by shifting six vaccines to risk-based or shared decision-making.
- The government cited peer nations like Denmark as models for fewer routine vaccines, not new safety concerns.
Denmark Uses Contextual Cost-Benefit Rules
- Denmark weighs vaccine value by disease frequency, severity, vaccine effectiveness, and cost in a population-specific math problem.
- Jens Lundgren explains they often favor targeted outbreak responses over blanket childhood vaccination for rare diseases.
Ring Vaccination Needs Strong Public Health Systems
- Targeted outbreak vaccination relies on rapid case detection, contact tracing, and high public-health capacity.
- David Higgins warns the U.S. lacks the centralized, well-resourced system Denmark uses for ring vaccination strategies.