Trump signs executive order calling for fewer childhood vaccines, falsely linking shots to autism

President Trump has signed an executive order regarding childhood vaccines. The order aims to reduce the number of vaccines children receive and suggests splitting some shots into separate medical visits. According to Trump, decades ago children received fewer vaccines and were healthier, with lower rates of autism.

The order recommends "gold standard" childhood vaccine schedules for 11 core vaccinations against serious diseases, including measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus, and varicella or chicken pox. Trump stated that his administration is reducing the number of vaccines and spreading them out over a series of doctor visits.

The federal government does not have the authority to implement new vaccine recommendations, as shots required for school attendance are set at the state level. The Trump administration has been criticised for promoting a discredited link between MMR vaccines and autism, despite multiple studies finding no link between the two. According to BBC News, separate measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines are not currently available for children in the US.

Brief written by urgent.news from CNBC, BBC News, CNBC World, Live Mint, CBS News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.