WHO says Trump vaccine shake-up goes against evidence

Geneva, Aug 12 — The World Health Organisation has expressed concern over Donald Trump's proposal to revise child vaccination policies in the United States, stating that it is contrary to "decades of evidence". Trump signed an order on Monday that seeks to reconsider school vaccine mandates and proposes separating the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three separate injections.

His Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., leads an anti-vaccine group and has previously championed an unsupported connection between the MMR vaccine and autism.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed that the scientific consensus is "unequivocal": vaccines, including the MMR vaccine, are safe and do not cause autism. He emphasized on X that vaccine policy should solely be based on an impartial, independent, and transparent examination of the most reliable scientific data, rather than political influence. Tedros expressed alarm that the recent modifications to US immunization policy do not align with the documented evidence.

Tedros warned that delaying vaccines or separating doses unnecessarily does not enhance safety and may leave children vulnerable. He highlighted that vaccines offer the most robust protection, and the optimal number of doses and compatible vaccines should be determined through continuous global data review.

The WHO chief also cautioned that delaying vaccines or unnecessarily separating doses does not improve safety, potentially leaving children unprotected. Trump's vaccine directive came amid the US's worst measles outbreak in 35 years, with children preparing to return to school, thereby potentially spreading infections further. Trump announced his intention to withdraw the US from the WHO on his first day in office in 2025.

Medical research has never established any link between autism and vaccination; nevertheless, skeptics like Health Secretary Kennedy continue to assert that there could be one. Kennedy has initiated a thorough review of vaccines, including those in use for decades, revamped the child vaccination schedule, and reduced funding for new vaccine development — actions strongly criticized by the medical and scientific community.

Tedros reassured parents on X that "vaccines are among the most potent tools" to safeguard children, rendering deadly diseases preventable. In the US, courts recently halted a plan to overhaul vaccination policy that Kennedy had initiated.