U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order aiming to reduce childhood vaccinations by streamlining the inoculation schedule to 11 immunizations. This move is intended to provide U.S. children with top-tier protection and bring the country in line with other nations that advocate for fewer shots.
The order reflects the advocacy of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been a vocal critic of vaccines and has suggested a connection between vaccines and autism, a claim that has been consistently discredited by scientists. Additionally, the order suggests breaking down the childhood MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine into three separate shots administered during distinct medical appointments.
Earlier, Kennedy had trimmed the U.S. immunization schedule by eliminating vaccinations for six out of 17 diseases, a decision that was later blocked by a federal court ruling. The new executive order specifies that the federal government will now back only the remaining 11 vaccinations.
While the order proposes revised vaccine guidelines, it is worth noting that states hold the authority to mandate vaccinations for schoolchildren, not the federal government. The directive advises states with such vaccination requirements to consider aligning their laws with the preferred schedule outlined by the administration, according to a White House fact sheet.
Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, a Republican, commended the order for enhancing clarity and transparency in vaccine recommendations. Conversely, Democratic governors J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania criticized the decision, with Pritzker denouncing the spread of misinformation regarding measles outbreaks in the country.
The order also tasks the Justice Department with challenging state vaccination laws, urging the attorney general to file lawsuits against state regulations that allegedly clash with parental rights, religious freedoms, disability accommodations, and equal protection. This includes provisions related to religious and medical exemptions from vaccination mandates.
Numerous medical associations, 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 parental confusion and potential delays in vaccinations.
Merck, a pharmaceutical company, highlighted that splitting the MMR vaccine has no proven advantages and could result in missed or delayed immunizations. Dr. Elizabeth Mack, a pediatric critical care physician, raised doubts about the feasibility of the recommendation due to the lack of single-antigen measles, mumps, or rubella vaccines available in the United States.
The World Health Organization defended the evidence-based approach used to establish childhood immunization schedules, emphasizing the extensive research conducted over several decades by various authoritative bodies. Trump and Kennedy asserted that the order would significantly reduce the number of injections children receive, but vaccine experts argue that the previous figure of 72 injections was exaggerated, as it included combination shots and assumed annual flu and COVID-19 doses.
Dr. Andrew Racine, President of the AAP, criticized the administration’s intention to revisit the vaccine-autism link, emphasizing that numerous studies have debunked any association between vaccines and autism. Dr. Alycia Halladay, Chief Science Officer at the Autism Science Foundation, pointed out that the issue lies not in the lack of scientific research but in individuals choosing to disregard established findings that contradict their beliefs.