U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday advocating for a decrease in childhood vaccinations by restricting the immunization schedule to 11 shots, aiming to provide U.S. children with top-tier protection and align the nation with other countries suggesting fewer vaccinations. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known anti-vaccine proponent, has long supported this initiative, despite promoting a debunked connection between vaccines and autism. The order also proposes dividing the childhood MMR vaccine into three doses, administered at separate medical appointments.
In January, Kennedy reduced the U.S. immunization schedule by eliminating vaccines for six out of 17 diseases. However, this move was stopped by a federal court ruling. The recent Trump order specifies that the federal government will now endorse only the remaining 11 vaccinations. While the order recommends revised vaccine guidelines, it clarifies that states, not the federal government, hold the authority to mandate vaccinations for schoolchildren. The order suggests that states with school vaccine mandates should contemplate revising their laws to conform to the administration’s preferred schedule.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt commended the order for enhancing clarity and transparency in vaccine recommendations. In contrast, Democratic governors J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania criticized the order, with Pritzker expressing concerns about the rising cases of measles in the country and the spread of misinformation. The order instructs the Justice Department to contest state vaccination laws and directs the attorney general to litigate against state laws that conflict with parental rights, religious freedom, disability accommodations, and equal protection, including regulations on religious and medical exemptions from immunization requirements.
Medical associations, public health experts, and vaccine manufacturers have also voiced opposition to the order. Dr. Aaron Milstone from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Infectious Diseases highlighted that the primary consequence would likely be confusion among parents, potentially leading to delayed vaccinations. Merck stated that there is no scientific evidence supporting the benefits of splitting the MMR shot into three doses, emphasizing that using individual components could result in missed or delayed immunizations. Dr. Elizabeth Mack, a pediatric critical care physician, pointed out the lack of licensed single-antigen measles, mumps, or rubella vaccines in the U.S., questioning the feasibility of the recommendation.
WHO defended the evidence-based process used to establish childhood immunization schedules, emphasizing the extensive research conducted by WHO, national authorities, and independent expert groups over more than 60 years. Trump, Kennedy, and White House officials asserted that under the new order, U.S. children would receive significantly fewer vaccinations than the 72 injections recommended in the prior schedule. Vaccine experts disputed this claim, stating that the figure is inflated due to counting combination shots as multiple injections and assuming annual flu and COVID-19 doses.
AAP President Dr. Andrew Racine criticized the administration’s intention to revisit the link between vaccines and autism, noting that numerous well-designed studies have already dismissed any such association. Dr. Alycia Halladay, chief science officer at the Autism Science Foundation, emphasized that despite ample scientific evidence disproving the link, some individuals refuse to accept the findings due to personal beliefs.
The move has sparked a debate among healthcare professionals, policymakers, and advocacy groups, highlighting the importance of evidence-based decision-making in public health policies.