Australian health experts fear US vaccine scepticism is catching on as ‘anything Trump says filters through’

Australian medical experts are concerned that a shift in child vaccination advice in the US, driven by comments from President Donald Trump, could have a negative impact on public health in Australia. Trump signed an executive order recommending fewer vaccinations for children, despite no scientific evidence to support the move. The order would reduce the number of recommended immunisations for children from 18 to 11.

The proposed changes have been widely criticised, including by Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician, who described the executive order as "a stupid thing to do". Cassidy argued that the changes would lead to increased costs and inconvenience for families, with children needing to receive more shots.

In Australia, there has been a reported 3% fall in one-year-olds being fully immunised against hepatitis B, according to The Guardian Australia. Experts warn that the US shift in vaccination advice could undo decades of public health advances and that Trump's comments could influence public opinion in Australia.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Guardian Australia, ABC News (US) — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.