On Monday, August 11th, 2026, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that calls for fewer childhood vaccinations and recommends splitting the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three separate shots. The order also advocates administering childhood immunizations at separate medical visits whenever possible.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump described the move as a "major victory for parents rights, religious and constitutional rights, and for the gold standard science." He stated, "Decades ago, children received only a small fraction of the vaccines required today," and added, "In those times, people were much healthier and of course the high rates of autism now observed did not exist."

The order reduces the recommended core childhood vaccinations from 18, as advised by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), to 11. It also advises states and territories to review vaccine requirements for school enrollment, though most school vaccine mandates are set by individual states.

Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said the changes aim to give parents more choice rather than restrict access to vaccines. Kennedy Jr. also insisted in a recent CNN interview that he had "never questioned the efficacy of the MMR vaccine."

However, the order has drawn criticism from medical experts and health officials. Vaccine maker Merck stated there is no published scientific evidence supporting any benefit from splitting the MMR vaccine. Aaron M., a representative cited by Deutsche Welle, emphasized, "We're advising that you continue to give children a vaccine that has decades of safety data."

New York City Health Commissioner Alister Martin condemned the order, saying it was based "in politics and conspiracy theories." Experts warn that the changes lack scientific backing and could leave children less protected.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that the MMR vaccine carries a very small risk of febrile seizures in young children but has found no connection between the vaccine and autism despite claims to the contrary.

Trump administration officials have indicated that under the new order, children in the US would receive significantly fewer than the 72 shots recommended under the previous vaccine schedule, a number that included annual flu and Covid-19 doses.

Sources