WHO says Trump vaccine shake-up goes against evidence

The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern over Donald Trump's efforts to overhaul child vaccination policies in the United States, arguing that such changes contradict decades of scientific evidence. This announcement follows President Trump's signing of an order on Monday, which suggests reconsidering school vaccine mandates and proposes separating the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three individual shots.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who heads an anti-vaccine group and has previously promoted a debunked link between the MMR vaccine and autism, played a role in shaping the proposed changes.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated via a post on X that the scientific consensus is clear: vaccines, including the MMR vaccine, are safe and do not cause autism. He emphasized that vaccination policies should be based on thorough, independent, and transparent reviews of the best available scientific evidence, not political influence.

Ghebreyesus expressed concern that recent alterations to US immunization policy are not consistent with the extensive evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

He further warned that delaying vaccines or separating doses unnecessarily not only does not enhance safety but can leave children unprotected. Trump's vaccine order coincides with the US experiencing its worst measles outbreak in 35 years, as children prepare to return to school, potentially exacerbating the spread of infections. The president's decision to withdraw from the WHO following 77 years of membership came shortly after he assumed office in 2025.

Despite the medical community's consistent rejection of any link between autism and vaccination, proponents of this notion, including Kennedy, have initiated extensive reviews of existing vaccines, revised the child vaccination schedule, and reduced funding for the development of new vaccines. These actions have been strongly criticized by the medical and scientific communities. Earlier this year, US courts temporarily halted some of the changes initiated by Trump in the vaccination policy.