Trump orders sharp cut to childhood vaccine schedule
Photo: REUTERS
US President Donald Trump officially signed an executive order on Monday, mandating a significant reduction in the childhood vaccination schedule.
The new directive restricts the standard inoculation timeline to just 11 immunizations, a move Trump claims will provide “gold-standard” safety for American children and bring the nation in line with other developed countries.
This policy fulfillment supports a primary objective of Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a prominent anti-vaccine activist who continues to assert a connection between vaccines and autism, despite consistent scientific debunking of the claim.
During a White House ceremony, Trump said, “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, which hopefully will be split up.”
He frequently pointed to the rising number of autism diagnoses during the event, adding, “There are some groups that have virtually no problem with autism. They’re groups that aren’t big into the world of vaccines, so there is something wrong.”
The medical community immediately condemned the decision, arguing that no scientific evidence justifies such a drastic shift. Physicians maintain that the US schedule is the product of decades of research tailored to the unique health requirements of the population.
They warned that reducing the number of recommended shots will inevitably leave children vulnerable to preventable illnesses. The order suggests deconstructing the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three independent injections administered during separate doctor visits.
This directive reaffirms a controversial overhaul by Kennedy from January - which sought to eliminate vaccinations for six different diseases - that a federal court had previously blocked.
A senior administration official clarified that the Vaccines for Children program, which supports low-income families, will remain in operation.
However, Trump also instructed the Justice Department to contest state vaccination mandates for schools. Attorney General now has orders to file lawsuits against state laws that the administration believes infringe upon parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations, and equal protection.
Public health experts and pharmaceutical companies expressed deep concern over the potential for widespread confusion.
Aaron Milstone of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Infectious Diseases noted that the primary result would be “confusion for parents,” which would likely cause delays in vaccination.
Merck emphasized that no published data supports the benefit of splitting the MMR shot, noting that it would increase the number of injections and the likelihood of missed doses.
Elizabeth Mack, a pediatric critical care physician, highlighted a practical flaw, saying that single-antigen vaccines for these diseases are not even available in the United States. “We don’t have a system that supports this,” she said, questioning the logistics of reimbursement and additional clinical visits.
Mike Ybarra of PhRMA reiterated that the vaccine schedule rests on a foundation of rigorous research and that any modifications “should be driven by the same high standard of evidence.”
Even within his own party, Trump faced backlash from Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician who chairs the Senate health committee. Despite having cast the decisive vote to confirm Kennedy, Cassidy added, “I’m a doctor. This executive order is wrong. The president does not have the expertise to make these changes.”
Administration officials defended the order by claiming it would spare children from the 72 injections suggested by the previous schedule. Experts, however, call that number misleading, as it treats combination shots as multiple needles and includes optional flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.
Kennedy also announced a new initiative to investigate the foundational causes of autism. In response, AAP President Andrew Racine and other scientists pointed out that 40 comprehensive studies have already proven there is no link between vaccines and autism.
Alycia Halladay of the Autism Science Foundation remarked, “The issue is not that the science isn’t done. The science is done. The issue is that some people choose not to believe what the studies clearly show because the results don’t conform to their beliefs.”
Source: Reuters (adapted)
