President Trump on Monday signed an executive order advancing his administration's "Make America Healthy Again" vaccine agenda, recommending a slimmed-down childhood immunization schedule and the separation of the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three distinct shots.
"Effective immediately, my administration is recognizing gold standard childhood vaccine recommendations for only 11 core vaccinations against the most serious and dangerous diseases, along with the MMR, which hopefully will be split up," Trump said from the Oval Office.
The order, which is largely symbolic and carries no binding force, echoes long-standing criticisms from vaccine opponents that the U.S. schedule is overly aggressive compared with other developed nations. Trump also repeated unsubstantiated claims linking vaccines to autism, saying, "We do not know exactly what the cause is with respect to autism. It is essential to our research efforts that we have the very best vaccine recommendations in the entire world. So we're reducing them."
The signing comes as the U.S. grapples with its worst measles outbreak in over three decades, with more than 1,000 cases reported this year.
What the order does
The executive order recommends that the childhood immunization schedule be reduced to 11 vaccines targeting measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus, and varicella. It also calls for the MMR vaccine to be split into three separate doses administered at different visits, with Trump claiming the combined shot could be "quite lethal."
For certain high-risk groups, the order recommends additional vaccines for diseases like RSV and hepatitis A and B, while leaving decisions on COVID-19 and influenza to "shared clinical decision-making."
The current U.S. schedule recommends immunization against 17 diseases, and Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have repeatedly cited a figure of "72 jabs" that children are expected to receive by age 18—a number that includes seasonal flu shots and is a recommendation, not a requirement.
One practical obstacle is that no manufacturer currently sells standalone measles, mumps, or rubella vaccines; the combined MMR has been standard for decades. A White House official acknowledged this during a press call, saying HHS would "get back to" Trump on the issue within 90 days. Officials declined to say what incentive drugmakers would have to split the vaccine.
Trump also said his administration would "work with families" on the potential for increased co-pays if families follow the recommendation to spread out vaccinations across multiple visits, but offered no specifics.
Repeat of stalled committee actions
The order closely mirrors efforts by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the CDC, which voted earlier this year to slim down the schedule. That move was blocked in March by a federal court ruling that Kennedy-appointed committee members lacked the required expertise.
Trump referenced that litigation in the order, writing that "implementation of my Administration's prior directives regarding childhood vaccines has been delayed due to litigation over the composition of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and separate updates to the Federal vaccine schedule."
Despite the overlap, a White House official insisted the executive order is a separate action that "complies fully with the existing court orders and injunctions."
Physicians and lawmakers push back
Vaccine advocates and physician groups were quick to condemn the order. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a physician and chair of the Senate health committee, called the move "so wrong."
"I'm a doctor. This executive order is wrong. The President does not have the expertise to make these changes. Vaccines are overwhelmingly safe and effective," Cassidy said in a statement.
Pediatricians have also blasted the order as dangerous, warning that it could lead to preventable outbreaks and undermine public health. The American Academy of Pediatrics reiterated its support for the current CDC-recommended schedule, calling it "the gold standard" for protecting children.
The order has reignited a fierce debate over vaccine policy, with supporters of the administration praising it as a step toward parental choice and critics warning of a public health crisis in the making.
