Trump signs order to reduce childhood vaccines and break up MMR shots

Trump signs order to reduce childhood vaccines and break up MMR shots US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order calling for American children to be immunised against fewer diseases. The vaccination schedule put forward by his administration recommends immunising children against 11 diseases, six fewer than what is currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Doctors say the order is based on pseudoscience, and will harm children. Here's what to know about the order. So, what are changes? In short, the revised schedule called for by Mr Trump seeks to reduce the number of diseases and viruses American parents are advised to vaccinate their children against. The six vaccinations the Trump administration would drop from the routine childhood immunisation schedule are: - RSV - Hepatitis A - Hepatitis B - Meningococcal ACWY - Rotavirus - Influenza The order advocates separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three separate, single-disease shots, despite scientific consensus that the combined shot is safe and effective. It also directs the nation's health department to improve research on vaccines, which are already extensively studied. Why did he order the changes? The changes appear to be motivated by misinformation, public health experts say. In signing the order, Mr Trump promoted his long-held but discredited theory that childhood shots should be spaced out into separate medical visits. That's despite public health experts raising concerns that spacing out shots in such a way could lead to an increased risk that children become infected with a vaccine-preventable disease before returning for another visit. Childhood vaccines (and how and when to give them in combination) go through rigorous studies, and safety tracking continues for years as the shots are used. Kush Desai, a spokesperson for the president, told the Associated Press the plan to develop single-disease vaccines would "give parents more options on timing and frequency for their children", and increase vaccine uptake. Mr Trump also repeatedly suggested the number or timing of vaccines could play a role in rising rates of autism spectrum disorder. But scientific consensus based on decades of studies firmly concludes that there is no link. Secretary of Health Robert F Kennedy Jr, a longtime vaccine critic, also said American children get 72 shots under the current schedule. But that number includes vaccines administered during pregnancy and individual components of combined shots that inoculate against several diseases. The schedule currently recommended by the CDC is similar to those in Australia, the UK and Canada. The Royal Australian College of GPs Specific Interests Child and Young Person's Health chair, Tim Jones, said the announcement would increase harm to children. He disputed Mr Trump's recommendations, which he told the ABC were informed by pseudoscience and would "muddy the waters on the safety and effectiveness of childhood immunisation". "He is harming infants who have no ability to advocate for their own health by continuing to peddle harmful, unsubstantiated claims at parents,"he said. Senator Bill Cassidy, the Republican chair of the Senate health committee, also slammed the executive order in a social media post, saying vaccines are safe and do not cause autism. "I'm a doctor. This executive order is wrong," the Louisiana senator wrote. "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. "The president does not have the expertise to make these changes." Can Trump change vaccine policy? It's not exactly clear. In the US, vaccination recommendations are approved by the CDC director on the advice of a committee of experts. Mr Trump ordered the Department of Health and Human Services in December to review how peer nations approach vaccine recommendations and consider revising US guidelines. The department responded by cutting the number of vaccines it recommends for every child, but that move was later blocked in court. That ruling was part of an ongoing lawsuit brought by medical organisations that argued the Trump administration did not follow standard legal procedure. But Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University, said the Supreme Court's interpretation of Mr Trump's power may allow him to supersede CDC director Erica Schwartz if she does not agree to the new recommendations. "This is clearly the first test for Dr Erica Schwartz," he said. "The president is placing her in an untenable position." What about vaccine mandates? In most US states, children must be immunised against certain diseases to attend day care or enrol in school. That's not something the president has the authority to change. In fact, the executive order only advises states with school vaccine mandates to consider updating their laws to reflect the administration's preferred schedule, according to a White House fact sheet. Are there concerns about vaccine uptake? Yes. Doctors have raised concerns that the Trump administration's misinformation around vaccines could stoke vaccine hesitancy. Mr Trump's executive order comes as students are returning to classrooms after their summer breaks. Federal data shows US kindergarten vaccination rates have been dropping, with the share of children with exemptions rising to an all-time high in the 2024-25 school year. The nation is contending with a measles outbreak so severe, experts say it could result in the US losing its measles elimination status. Dr Jones said the outbreak has so far impacted more than 2,400 Americans, almost all of whom were unvaccinated, and caused three deaths. Medical experts have linked the rise to slumping vaccination rates, a trend many attribute in part to vaccine scepticism espoused by Mr Kennedy. Just this month, Mr Kennedy urged parents to vaccinate their children against measles, though he took no responsibility for the surge. Mr Trump's executive order would needlessly contribute to increased fear and avoidance of vaccination both in the US and around the world, Dr Jones added. "Without confidence in the lifesaving properties of widespread vaccination of children further children are going to die of preventable diseases — a travesty." ABC/AP