Pediatricians warn Trump vaccine order could increase confusion and risk for children
U.S. pediatric leaders say the executive order separating the MMR vaccine and altering the childhood schedule is not based on scientific evidence and may undermine vaccination rates as schools reopen.
The White House signed an executive order that calls for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to be offered as three separate shots and for all childhood immunizations to be administered at separate appointments when possible. Pediatricians said the move could create uncertainty for families completing back-to-school health checks.
"Many families are finishing up that back-to-school checklist, and among those things is the medical checkup and assuring that their kids have their vaccines," said Michigan pediatrician Dr. Molly O’Shea. She added that questioning the safety or efficacy of the combined MMR vaccine at this time is "unfortunate and ill-conceived."
The order, which revives recommendations previously blocked by a federal judge, is being overseen by a health department led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime opponent of vaccines. Trump has repeatedly suggested a link between vaccines and autism despite extensive research finding no such connection, and has described the combined MMR vaccine as potentially "lethal."
Vaccine experts described the proposals as lacking scientific support. Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine researcher at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said the recommendations are "just not science based" and could cause "chaos and confusion" for parents. He warned that undermining confidence in a vaccine that protects against measles comes as the United States experiences its largest outbreak in more than three decades.
The American Academy of Pediatrics president, Dr. Andrew Racine, noted that dozens of well-designed studies worldwide have shown unequivocally that childhood vaccines do not cause autism. He said the suggestion of a link is "misguided and unfair to families."
Health insurers indicated that coverage for vaccines approved before the current administration should continue under Medicaid, CHIP and most private plans through 2027, reducing the likelihood of cost barriers.
Pediatricians expressed concern that the order could exacerbate vaccine hesitancy, which has already contributed to declining kindergarten vaccination rates and a record high of exemption requests for the 2024-25 school year. "Parents deserve clear, evidence-based guidance about how to protect their children, not competing recommendations issued through political processes," said infectious-disease expert Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota. "When families receive conflicting messages, confidence in vaccination suffers, and children ultimately bear the consequences."