The White House is considering an executive order that would target vaccines and autism, according to an administration official familiar with the deliberations. The potential order is expected to focus on the childhood vaccine schedule and autism research.
Background
President Donald Trump has pressed senior officials, including US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to prioritize greater scrutiny of vaccines. This push has been met with warnings from his aides and political advisers, who fear that elevating the issue could damage Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Trump has suggested on multiple occasions that there could be a link between vaccines and autism, despite extensive research that has found no connection. He has also suggested that the US childhood vaccine schedule should be further pared down, sowing doubts about the safety of the shots despite no scientific backing for his claims.
Response
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bloomberg News and The Washington Post first reported the potential for a new executive order.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
