WHO says Trump vaccine shake-up goes against evidence

The World Health Organization (WHO) has condemned Donald Trump's proposed changes to child vaccination policies in the United States, stating that they conflict with decades of scientific evidence. President Trump signed an order on Monday, advocating for a reconsideration of school vaccine mandates and pushing for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to be administered as three separate shots.

His health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who founded an anti-vaccine group, has long promoted a debunked link between the MMR vaccine and autism. However, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that the scientific consensus is clear: vaccines—including the MMR—are safe and do not cause autism. The WHO is concerned that recent U.S. immunization policy changes are not aligned with this robust evidence base.

Tedros warned that delaying vaccines or separating doses unnecessarily can leave children unprotected and does not enhance safety. The U.S. currently faces its worst measles outbreak in 35 years, with children preparing to return to school, potentially exacerbating infection spread. Trump's decision to withdraw from the WHO on his first day in office in 2025 has further fueled the controversy.

Medical research has unequivocally established no link between autism and vaccination, yet skeptics continue to question this. Kennedy has initiated a comprehensive review of vaccines, including those in widespread use, and has altered the child vaccination schedule while reducing funding for new vaccine development, actions strongly criticized by the medical and scientific community.

Tedros reassured parents via X that vaccines are among the most potent tools for safeguarding children and rendering deadly diseases preventable.