‘We’re reducing them’: Trump’s sweeping new US childhood vaccine order

In a significant move, US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at altering the nation's childhood vaccination guidelines. The order proposes reducing the number of routinely recommended vaccines for children, as well as separating combination shots into individual appointments. This includes splitting the combined MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine into three separate doses once individual vaccines become available in the US.

The order emphasizes that childhood immunizations should be administered at separate medical visits "to the maximum extent feasible." This shift in policy comes in line with Trump's longstanding claims about vaccine safety and the supposed link to autism, despite extensive research showing no such connection.

Critics, including doctors and public health experts, have raised concerns about the potential consequences of this new approach. They argue that spreading out vaccinations could leave children vulnerable to preventable diseases and make it more difficult for families to adhere to recommended immunization schedules. The American Academy of Pediatrics' president, Dr. Andrew Racine, denounced the changes as creating unnecessary uncertainty, emphasizing that scientific consensus on vaccines remains unaltered.

Despite these concerns, the President maintains his stance, stating that the administration is adopting "gold standard" recommendations covering 11 core diseases, down from 18 at the end of 2024. He warns that combining certain vaccines could pose a danger, suggesting the MMR vaccine might be unsafe when given together. However, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention refute these claims, stating that there is no published scientific evidence supporting the separation of combination vaccines into separate doses. They also stress that getting the MMR vaccine is safer than contracting measles, mumps, or rubella.