President Trump has signed an executive order calling for fewer childhood vaccines and the separation of the combined MMR shot into three doses, once again tying vaccines to autism despite the link being widely discredited.
Live updates
Loading updates…
Key facts
- Trump signed an executive order calling for fewer childhood vaccines.
- The order revives a discredited link between vaccines and autism, according to the BBC.
- The administration recommends splitting the MMR vaccine into three separate shots given in separate visits.
- The order builds on efforts to reshape the childhood shot schedule under HHS Secretary RFK Jr., according to CNBC.
- RFK Jr. is described as a longtime vaccine skeptic.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order calling for a reduction in the number of childhood vaccines and for changes to how some shots are administered, according to reporting from CNBC and the BBC. The order again asserts a link between vaccines and autism, a connection that the BBC notes has been discredited.
According to CNBC, the order builds on the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to reshape the childhood shot schedule under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is described as a longtime vaccine skeptic.
One of the central changes described in the order is a recommendation to separate the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three different shots, each administered during separate visits, the BBC reported.
The BBC states that the Trump administration has long pushed a discredited link between vaccines and autism. That association has been repeatedly examined by scientists and health authorities and is not supported by evidence, though the sources here focus on the administration’s position rather than restating the underlying research.
The executive order marks a formal step in the administration’s stated goal of limiting the number of vaccines given to children and altering the standard immunization schedule that has been in place for years.
The full text of the order and details on how the recommendations would be implemented were not specified in the available reporting.
Why it matters
Childhood vaccine schedules are set based on decades of medical guidance, and changes at the federal level could affect how and when millions of children are immunized. Reviving a discredited vaccine-autism link from the White House may influence public confidence in established immunization programs.
Frequently asked questions
What does the executive order do?
According to CNBC and the BBC, the order calls for fewer childhood vaccines and recommends splitting the combined MMR shot into three separate doses given during separate visits.
Does the order change how the MMR vaccine is given?
Yes. The BBC reports the administration recommends separating the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three different shots administered in separate visits.
Is there a proven link between vaccines and autism?
No. The BBC describes the link between vaccines and autism as discredited, noting the administration has long pushed this claim.
Timeline
- Trump signs order to limit childhood vaccines and split MMR shots
BBC World: The Trump administration recommends separating the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three different shots administered in separate visits.
- Trump signs order to limit and split childhood vaccines
BBC World: The Trump administration has long pushed a discredited link between vaccines and autism.
- Trump signs executive order calling for fewer childhood vaccines, falsely linking shots to autism
CNBC Top News: The order builds on the Trump administration's efforts to reshape the childhood shot schedule under HHS Secretary RFK Jr., a longtime a vaccine skeptic.