President Donald Trump’s new childhood vaccine order has triggered a sharp response from doctors and health experts.
critics warn that splitting the MMR vaccine could mean more shots and more doctor visits While the administration says the move will give parents more choice.
What officials in the administration said
The executive order states that “the combined MMR vaccine should be administered in three separate single-disease shots once such products are domestically available and that, to the maximum extent feasible, all childhood immunizations should be administered at separate medical visits. White House adviser Stephen Miller also backed the decision, saying, “This is an action that ensures the dignity of patients, the dignity of parents. Trump said that for years, the US had recommended more childhood vaccines than other peer nations, with children in some cases receiving up to 72 vaccine doses.
“Effective immediately, my administration is recognizing Gold Standard childhood vaccine recommendations for only 11 core vaccinations against the most serious and dangerous diseases, along with the MMR,” Trump said while signing the order in the Oval Office. US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr said the administration would work to ensure vaccine access while also strengthening safety monitoring. “We will preserve access to vaccines, strengthen safety monitoring, expand research, give doctors and parents better information, and restore informed consent and parental choice to their rightful place in American medicine,” he said, as per ANI. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said the move would restore autonomy for families while continuing to emphasize science in vaccine recommendations. “This restores a healthy relationship between public health and parents,” he said. It restores choice and says we are going to let the parent and doctor make a sound medical decision.”
What Happens Next
Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a doctor and chairman of the Senate health committee, strongly criticized the order on X: “I’m a doctor. This executive order is wrong. The President does not have the expertise to make these changes. Vaccines are overwhelmingly safe. Vaccines are effective. Vaccines DO NOT cause autism. Breaking up vaccines will mean children have to get more shots to get the same protection, not fewer shots. It will increase hesitancy and make children less safe. Parents should listen to their child’s pediatrician about vaccines rather than listening to an inaccurate executive order. This is so wrong. Vaccine safety experts at the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics also agree the MMR shot is not responsible for recent increases in autism diagnoses.
The CDC says there’s “no published scientific evidence [that] shows any benefit in separating the combination MMR vaccine into three individual shots. It notes there can be a “very small risk” of febrile seizures and extremely rare cases of serious allergic reactions with the MMR vaccine, but that getting it “is much safer than getting measles, mumps, or rubella.
