Trump takes aim at childhood vaccines

On August 10, 2026, President Donald Trump met with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the Oval Office. <source 709471ec-0c8> Trump and Kennedy discussed the administration's plans to revise the childhood vaccine schedule. <source 709471ec-0c8> The new executive order proposed reducing the number of recommended vaccines for children from 18 to just 11. <source 709471ec-0c8> This would eliminate vaccines for rotavirus, meningococcal disease, the flu, and Covid-19. <source 709471ec-0c8> Trump's order also aimed to promote "parental choice" regarding vaccines and advance new vaccine research. <source 709471ec-0c8> Notably, the order suggested breaking up the MMR vaccine into three separate shots, a practice not currently available. <source 709471ec-0c8> These proposed changes would increase confusion over vaccine safety and potentially create new administrative barriers for parents. <source 709471ec-0c8> Trump's personal concerns about vaccines, driven by his claims of a link to autism, played a role in the administration's decisions. <source 709471ec-0c8> While the order doesn't bring about immediate changes, it signals a concerning trend in vaccine policy being dictated from the White House. <source 709471ec-0c8> This development, combined with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s ongoing efforts, threatens to undermine the fragmented public health consensus in the United States.