U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order aiming to reduce childhood vaccinations by streamlining the inoculation schedule to 11 immunizations. The goal is to provide U.S. children with top-tier protection and bring the country in line with other nations that endorse a fewer number of shots. This move reflects the agenda of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine advocate who has pushed a disproven connection between vaccines and autism.
The executive order proposes dividing the childhood MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine into three doses and administering them during separate medical appointments. Earlier this year, Kennedy had trimmed the U.S. immunization schedule by eliminating vaccines for six out of 17 diseases, which was later blocked by a court ruling. Now, the Trump administration intends to only support the remaining 11 vaccines.
While the order suggests revised vaccine recommendations, it clarifies that states, not the federal government, hold the power to mandate vaccinations for schoolchildren. However, the order encourages states with school vaccine mandates to consider adjusting their laws to align with the administration’s preferred schedule.
Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, a Republican, commended the order for enhancing transparency in vaccine recommendations, but Democratic governors J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania criticized the decision. Pritzker expressed concerns about the rising cases of measles in the country and accused the administration of spreading harmful misinformation.
The order also tasks the Justice Department with challenging state vaccination laws, urging the attorney general to litigate against state laws that allegedly infringe on parental authority, religious freedoms, disability accommodations, and equal protection, including regulations on religious and medical exemptions from immunization requirements.
Various medical organizations, public health experts, and vaccine manufacturers have denounced the order. Dr. Aaron Milstone from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Infectious Diseases highlighted potential confusion for parents due to conflicting messages, which could lead to delays in vaccination.
Merck, a pharmaceutical company, disputed the recommendation to split the MMR shot, stating that there is no scientific evidence supporting this approach. Dr. Elizabeth Mack, a pediatric critical care physician in Charleston, South Carolina, raised concerns about the feasibility of the recommendation, emphasizing the lack of single-antigen measles, mumps, or rubella vaccines in the U.S.
The World Health Organization defended the science-based process underpinning childhood immunization schedules, emphasizing decades of research that inform vaccination recommendations. Trump, Kennedy, and White House officials assert that under the new schedule, U.S. children would receive significantly fewer injections compared to the previous regimen, which experts argue is an exaggerated claim.
Dr. Andrew Racine, President of the AAP, criticized the administration’s intention to revisit the vaccine-autism link, pointing out that numerous studies have consistently refuted any such association. Dr. Alycia Halladay, Chief Science Officer at the Autism Science Foundation, highlighted the importance of acknowledging scientific evidence despite personal beliefs.