Technology and Science10 August, 20263 min read
Trump Signs Executive Order Cutting Childhood Vaccines, Splitting MMR Into Three Shots
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Executive order calls for reducing recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11. MMR vaccine would be split into three separate injections during visits.
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Order Cuts Vaccines
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday laying out new recommendations for childhood vaccinations, including limiting the number of vaccines recommended for children and splitting vaccines into tiers so some are advised for all children and others for children considered higher risk.
“The executive order also directed the Health and Human Services Department to reassess vaccine sequencing and timing within 90 days.”
The order recommends that the measles, mumps and rubella shot, known as MMR, be given as three separate shots and that, when possible, children should be vaccinated in separate visits.
In the Oval Office with the executive order in front of him, Trump said, "Today, we're proud to officially announce the United States of America's Gold Standard Childhood Vaccination Recommendations" and repeatedly cited autism as part of the guidance.
The executive order also directed the Health and Human Services Department to reassess vaccine sequencing and timing within 90 days, and it did not mention autism even as Trump did.
CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook warned that Trump’s assertion that "nothing bad can happen" is incorrect, citing hepatitis B exposure from an infected caregiver as an example.
Doctors Denounce Plan
The American Academy of Pediatrics called the order "disheartening" and "dangerous" in a statement issued later Monday, as the plan drew immediate criticism from scientists, physicians, Democrats and some congressional Republicans.
American Academy of Pediatrics president Andrew Racine said, "The issue is not that the science isn't done. The science is done," while Reuters reported that physicians roundly rejected the action as no new science warranted a change.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician who chairs the Senate Health Committee, posted on X, "I'm a doctor. This executive order is wrong. The President does not have the expertise to make these changes."
The order’s practical effect was described as uncertain, with Reuters reporting that Dr. Aaron Milstone said the main outcome would be "confusion for parents" and that conflicting messages would likely lead parents to delay vaccination.
CIDRAP quoted Andrew D. Racine, MD, PhD, saying, "Delaying or skipping shots is risky, especially as measles continues to spread and children go back to school," as it warned spacing out MMR could increase risk of infection or lead to kids missing doses.
States, Costs, and Autism
The executive order puts new pressure on states, health insurers, pharmaceutical companies and medical professional to align with the president’s approach, while also directing the Justice Department to challenge state vaccination laws over exemptions and school immunization requirements set by states.
“The order directs the Justice Department to challenge state vaccination laws, escalating a federal fight over school immunization requirements set by states.”
Reuters reported that the order directs the Justice Department to challenge state vaccination laws, escalating a federal fight over school immunization requirements set by states, and it instructs the attorney general to sue over state laws the administration says conflict with parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations and equal protection.
The Guardian described the order as attempting to override the authority of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), noting that the CDC is the federal agency tasked with recommending vaccines, not the White House.
The Guardian also said the order would require the MMR vaccine to be broken into three separate shots once it becomes available in the US, and it quoted Trump saying, "Together, there could be a possibility they’re quite lethal," about the MMR vaccine.
In response to the autism framing, Reuters reported that AAP President Dr. Andrew Racine called the administration’s plans to again look for a link between vaccines and autism misguided, adding that "40 well-designed studies had already examined the question" and found no link.