U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order on reducing childhood vaccinations by streamlining the vaccination schedule to 11 shots. Trump stated that this adjustment would provide American children with top-tier protection and align the country with other nations that recommend fewer vaccinations. The directive reflects the advocacy of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist who has pushed the discredited theory linking vaccines to autism.
The order proposes dividing the childhood MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine into three separate shots to be administered during different medical appointments. Earlier this year, Kennedy had modified the U.S. immunization schedule by eliminating vaccines for six out of 17 diseases, a decision that was subsequently halted by a court ruling. The current executive order specifies that the federal government will only endorse the remaining 11 vaccinations.
While the order suggests revised vaccine guidelines, it is important to note that individual states hold the authority to mandate vaccinations for schoolchildren. The order advises states with school vaccine requirements to consider updating their legislation to align with the administration’s preferred vaccination schedule. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt commended the order for enhancing clarity and transparency in vaccine recommendations, whereas Democratic Governors J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania criticized the move.
The directive also tasks the Justice Department with contesting state vaccination laws. It instructs the attorney general to litigate laws that the administration deems to infringe on parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations, and equal protection, including regulations concerning religious and medical exemptions from vaccination mandates.
Medical organizations, public health experts, and vaccine manufacturers have raised concerns about the order. Dr. Aaron Milstone from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Infectious Diseases warned that conflicting messages could lead to confusion among parents, potentially resulting in delayed vaccinations. Merck, a pharmaceutical company, stated that there is no scientific evidence supporting the benefits of dividing the MMR vaccine into three shots, emphasizing that such practice could lead to missed or delayed vaccinations.
Dr. Elizabeth Mack, a pediatric critical care physician, highlighted the impracticality of the recommendation as there are no licensed single-antigen measles, mumps, or rubella vaccines in the U.S. She questioned the feasibility of requiring parents to make multiple visits for vaccinations and whether these visits would be reimbursed.
The World Health Organization defended the evidence-based process used to establish childhood immunization schedules, emphasizing the extensive research conducted over six decades by various organizations. Trump, Kennedy, and White House officials asserted that the order would significantly reduce the number of vaccinations received by U.S. children compared to the previous schedule, which recommended 72 injections. However, vaccine experts argue that this figure is misleading as it includes combination shots like MMR as multiple injections, even though they are administered in a single shot, and assumes annual flu and COVID-19 doses.
Dr. Andrew Racine, President of the AAP, criticized the administration’s intention to revisit the link between vaccines and autism, highlighting that numerous well-designed studies have consistently found no such association. Dr. Alycia Halladay, Chief Science Officer at the Autism Science Foundation, emphasized that the issue lies not in the lack of scientific evidence but in some individuals choosing to disregard established research findings due to personal beliefs.