U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order aiming to reduce childhood vaccinations by streamlining the inoculation schedule to only 11 vaccines. Trump claims this adjustment will offer American children top-tier protection and bring the country in line with other nations that advocate for fewer shots.
The directive supports Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s objective of minimizing vaccination requirements. Kennedy, an anti-vaccine activist, has propagated a disproven connection between vaccines and autism. The order suggests dividing the childhood MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine into three separate shots administered during distinct medical visits.
Earlier in January, Kennedy had trimmed the U.S. immunization timetable by eliminating vaccinations for six out of 17 diseases, a decision that was legally challenged and put on hold. The current executive order specifies that the federal government will now only endorse the remaining 11 vaccinations.
While the order proposes revised vaccine guidelines, it highlights that states, not the federal government, hold the power to mandate vaccinations for school-age children. The order encourages states with school vaccine requirements to contemplate updating their laws to align with the administration’s preferred schedule.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, a Republican, commended the order for enhancing transparency and clarity in vaccine recommendations. However, Democratic governors J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania criticized the decision, with Pritzker expressing concerns over the resurgence of measles due to misinformation.
The order also directs the Justice Department to challenge state vaccination laws that are believed to infringe upon parental rights, religious freedoms, disability accommodations, and equal protection, including regulations on religious and medical exemptions from immunization mandates.
Medical organizations, public health experts, and vaccine manufacturers have voiced opposition to the order. Dr. Aaron Milstone from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Infectious Diseases cautioned that conflicting messages could confuse parents and potentially lead to delayed vaccinations.
Merck, a pharmaceutical company, stated that there is no scientific evidence supporting the benefits of splitting the MMR combination shot into three separate doses. Additionally, Dr. Elizabeth Mack, a pediatric critical care physician, highlighted the impracticality of the recommendation due to the absence of licensed single-antigen measles, mumps, or rubella vaccines in the U.S.
Critics, including Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician, condemned the executive order, emphasizing that major changes to vaccination protocols should be grounded in robust scientific evidence. The World Health Organization defended the established science-based approach used to determine childhood vaccination schedules, underscoring the importance of evidence-based recommendations.