US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order proposing a reduction in the number of vaccines recommended for children, as well as separating the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three separate shots.
“A few decades ago, children received only a small fraction of the vaccines required today. At that time, people were much healthier and, of course, there was no high rate of autism like we record today,” Trump said.
Speaking to journalists, the US President talked about injections “the size of a lemonade bottle” given to children in the US. How exactly he came up with this comparison, he did not explain in detail.
The US President has long questioned the safety of the MMR vaccine, but multiple scientific studies have shown that there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
The decree also recommends that the number of vaccines given to children be reduced from the current 18, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), to 11.
Trump’s decree represents a guideline rather than a binding measure, given that rules on vaccines required for school attendance are determined at the state level, not by the federal government.
Recommendations for only 11 essential vaccines against the most severe and dangerous diseases
Addressing reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said his administration “recognizes gold-standard child vaccination recommendations, which cover only 11 essential vaccines against the most severe and dangerous diseases.”
Under the decree, vaccines recommended for all children protect against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, diseases caused by Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal diseases, human papillomavirus (HPV), and varicella, or chickenpox.
“We are reducing their number. It is not just about getting fewer vaccines, or shots, as they call them, but also about receiving them over more doctor visits,” Trump said.
The US President suggested that the MMR vaccine could be “very deadly” if all three components are given at the same time. He compared it to pouring a whole bottle of soda into a child’s body.
When a reporter asked for evidence to back up the claim that the vaccine is “deadly,” Trump replied: “What I have heard is that some people say it is.”
Very small risk of febrile seizures in young children
According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the MMR vaccine carries a very small risk of febrile seizures in young children. People with certain health conditions, including severe allergic reactions or weakened immune systems, are advised to consult a doctor before vaccination.
The CDC states that “most people who get the MMR vaccine do not have serious problems” and that vaccination is “much safer than getting measles, mumps, or rubella.”
According to the CDC, there are no published scientific studies showing that separating the combination MMR vaccine into three individual vaccines would offer any benefit.
Experts warn that leaving time gaps between vaccines could increase the risk of children contracting one of these diseases in the meantime, as well as the likelihood of missing a scheduled doctor visit if more appointments are required.
Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that the goal of the proposed changes is to give parents choices, rather than restrict their access to childhood vaccines.
Since taking office in 2025, Kennedy has sought to modify and ease vaccination regulations. During a tense twenty-minute interview on CNN last week, Kennedy insisted that he “never questioned the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine.”
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Source: BBC, Photo: AP