President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to reduce the number of routine childhood vaccinations, a move that has been met with criticism from medical experts. The order recommends universal childhood immunization against 11 diseases, down from 18 recommended by the U.S. CDC in late 2024.
What the Order Says
The order dropped vaccines for COVID-19, the flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, bacterial meningitis, and RSV from the universal list, moving them to a “high-risk groups or populations” category or a “shared clinical decision-making” category. It also recommends splitting the combination measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine into three single-disease shots and spreading immunizations across separate visits to a healthcare provider.
The order instructs the attorney general to sue over state laws that conflict with parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations, and equal protection, including religious and medical exemptions from vaccine mandates.
Response from Medical Experts
Major medical groups have rejected the order, saying no new science justifies a change. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that replacing the combined MMR shot with single-disease versions would take about a decade. Several groups, including the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, said the order would expose more children to preventable illness and death.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
