Trump takes aim at childhood vaccine schedule

President Donald Trump announced on Monday an executive order aimed at revamping childhood vaccine recommendations, reflecting his personal belief that vaccines should be given in separate medical visits. The order proposes separating the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three distinct shots, administered on different visits, according to a White House fact sheet cited by The Daily Caller.

The White House reported that Trump suggested one-year-olds should have five separate vaccine visits, though it was unclear if this applied to all vaccines or specific ones.

Public health experts cautioned that spacing out vaccines as Trump suggests could increase the risk of children contracting vaccine-preventable diseases before receiving subsequent doses. Childhood vaccines and their administration schedules undergo extensive research and monitoring for safety, even after they are in use. Currently, separate measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines are not available in the US.

Although the order calls for updated vaccine recommendations, states retain authority over school vaccination requirements. The federal government will advise states with vaccination mandates to consider revising their laws in line with the administration's suggestions, the fact sheet explained. Previously, Trump directed the Health and Human Services (HHS) department to review vaccine recommendations in peer nations and consider revising US guidance accordingly. However, a court has blocked this move.

In the weeks leading up to the announcement, Trump's administration had shifted focus from vaccine policy to more neutral topics such as healthy eating and drug price reduction. Despite this shift, a majority of Americans still support school vaccination requirements, although Republicans are less likely than Democrats to view them as crucial.

Trump has long been critical of vaccines, often linking autism to them. He pressured Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to identify the cause of autism, a demand Kennedy had previously committed to addressing through new research. At a recent Cabinet meeting, Trump inquired about the progress of autism research. The scientific community and extensive studies have consistently concluded that there is no connection between childhood vaccines and autism.

This executive order arrives as the country grapples with a measles outbreak, which may lead the US to lose its measles elimination status.