August 11, 2026 | 10:18 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order seeking sweeping changes to childhood vaccine policy, including fewer recommended immunizations and more separate appointments for children to receive them.
The order calls for the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as MMR, to be separated into three single-disease shots. It also advocates administering childhood immunizations at separate medical visits whenever possible.
Trump described the move as a "major victory for parents rights, religious and constitutional rights, and for the gold standard science."
What changes does Trump want for childhood vaccines?
The order says the federal government will support 11 core childhood vaccinations and advises states and territories to review vaccine requirements for school enrollment.
However, Washington cannot directly determine most school vaccine mandates, which are largely set by individual states. On those requirements, Trump's order is therefore primarily a recommendation.
The order also directs the Health and Human Services Department to improve vaccine research and develop a plan to make separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines available in the US. Such single-antigen vaccines are not currently licensed there.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had already sought in January to remove vaccines against six of 17 diseases from the childhood schedule. A federal judge later blocked those changes while legal proceedings continue. Monday's order reaffirms much of that overhaul.
Why do experts oppose spacing out vaccines?
Public health experts say childhood vaccination schedules are based on extensive research into when and how vaccines can safely be administered together. Safety monitoring continues after vaccines are introduced.
They warn that spreading shots across more appointments can leave children vulnerable to preventable diseases for longer and increase the risk that later doses are delayed or missed.
Vaccine maker Merck said there was no published scientific evidence showing any benefit from splitting the MMR vaccine. Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, estimated that developing and approving separate vaccines in the US could take more than a decade.
"We're advising that you continue to give children a vaccine that has decades of safety data," said Aaron M. Milstone, a member of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases.
What does Trump say about vaccines and autism?
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump repeatedly suggested that the number or timing of childhood vaccines could be linked to rising rates of autism spectrum disorder.
Scientific consensus and decades of studies have found no link between vaccination and autism.
Kennedy has also repeatedly promoted the disproven connection. He founded an anti-vaccine nonprofit before joining the administration.
How have experts reacted to Trump's vaccine order?
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician and chairman of the Senate health committee, condemned the move.
"I'm a doctor. This executive order is wrong. The president does not have the expertise to make these changes," Cassidy said, adding that splitting combination vaccines "will mean children have to get more shots to get the same protection, not fewer shots."
Cassidy cast the decisive vote to confirm Kennedy as health secretary in 2025 despite concerns over his vaccine skepticism. He lost his Republican primary in May to a Trump-backed challenger and is due to leave office in January.
New York City Health Commissioner Alister Martin said the order was based "in politics and conspiracy theories."
"Fortunately, vaccination recommendations are not set by the president, nor should they be," Martin said.
Why is the timing of Trump's vaccine push significant?
The policy shift comes as the United States experiences its worst measles outbreak in 35 years and children prepare to return to school.
Critics have accused Kennedy of contributing to vaccine hesitancy through years of questioning established immunizations.
The renewed focus on vaccines also marks a shift from the administration's recent emphasis on less divisive health policies, including healthy eating, drug price negotiations and efforts to combat medical fraud ahead of November's midterm elections.
Read: Africa CDC to Use Vaccine for Zaire Ebola Strain as Stop-Gap
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