WASHINGTON — Federal health officials are unilaterally reducing the number of recommended pediatric immunizations in response to an order from President Trump, the most significant reshaping of the vaccine schedule since Trump took office and empowered health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic of childhood shots.

Officials claim the new schedule is meant to bring the U.S. recommendations closer to those in other developed nations. Though some other wealthy countries, including those consulted by U.S. officials, actually have similar recommendations to the ones the administration is jettisoning.

The new schedule pares down the number of recommended vaccines from 17 to 11, recommends some vaccines only for “high-risk” individuals, and says that some other vaccines, such as those for flu and rotavirus, can be given through “shared clinical decision-making.” It follows an order from Trump, issued in early December, to examine how “peer nations” structure their vaccine recommendations.

Vaccines for diseases that no longer carry a universal recommendation will still be covered by federal health insurance programs, including Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Vaccines for Children program. Parents who want to vaccinate their children against these diseases will not have to pay out of pocket, officials said.