New executive order recommends fewer vaccines and splitting the MMR shot. While the administration claims alignment with 'advanced nations,' the medical community is appalled, and a measles outbreak rages on.
US President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order significantly altering child vaccination recommendations, drawing sharp criticism from the medical community. Alongside Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his anti-vaccine stance, Trump announced in the Oval Office a reduction in the number of diseases recommended for vaccination from 18 to 11, according to data reported by Narod.hr.
The order also recommends that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine no longer be administered as a single combined shot but rather as separate doses. Trump accompanied the decision with a statement that the ready-made injections are "the size of a juice bottle", alluding to alleged harm-a claim reported by France Info that lacks scientific basis.
This is not the administration's first attempt to overhaul the vaccination program. In January 2026, Secretary Kennedy tried to remove vaccines for six diseases from the US program, which then covered 17, but implementation was halted by a federal court after about fifteen Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit. Now the administration is back with a new order, just ahead of the start of the school year in several states.
Speaking to the public via Fox News, Trump stated: "I think you're going to see incredible results if the vaccinations are spaced out." He added that "it's not just about getting fewer vaccines or injections, as they call them, but also getting them over a series of doctor visits. In much smaller amounts."
Trump also emphasized the legal dimension of his decision, noting that the order directs the Attorney General to initiate legal proceedings against states that violate children's rights to religious or medical exemptions from vaccination. At the same time, he told parents that the final decision rests with them: "Parents can still decide to give their children all the vaccines if they want to, that's up to the parents-we give strong recommendations, but the decision is up to the parents, and insurance will cover the costs."
The President expressed confidence that the US is thereby joining other developed nations: "However, these updated recommendations finally align the United States with other advanced and developed countries around the world. More importantly, they align us with common sense and knowledge."
The medical community has reacted with deep concern. Richard Hughes IV, legal counsel for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), warned of serious consequences, especially in light of the ongoing measles outbreak in the US-the largest in 35 years-directly linked to declining vaccination rates.
Pediatric intensivist Elizabeth Mack highlighted the absurdity of claims about injection size, while former head of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Demetre Daskalakis, also expressed concern over the direction of vaccination policy. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician and chair of the Senate health committee whose vote was crucial in confirming Kennedy as secretary in 2025, now faces criticism for supporting a policy that, according to experts, is not evidence-based.
Experts particularly criticize the decision to split the MMR vaccine. Although the administration claims the goal is to reduce the number of shots, which they say could reach 72 during childhood, monovalent vaccines against measles, mumps, and rubella are no longer produced or used in developed countries precisely because the combined vaccine increases coverage and reduces the number of doctor visits.
The order is part of a broader initiative by the MAHA Commission, launched by Trump last year, which includes as many as 120 initiatives, according to Narod.hr. Trump and Kennedy continue to suggest a link between vaccination and autism, a thesis never confirmed by any serious medical research.
