Trump slashes childhood vaccines as measles outbreak worsens

Washington — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday to reduce the number of recommended childhood vaccines, splitting the combined measles, mumps, and rubella shot into separate doses. The move comes as the U.S. faces its worst measles outbreak in over two decades. The order cuts the list of fully recommended vaccines from 17 to six. It also directs that, where possible, each vaccine be given in separate medical visits. The decision backs the anti-vaccine agenda of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who stood beside Trump during the signing. Under the new order, the MMR vaccine—normally given as one shot in two doses—would be split into three separate injections. However, no such single-dose vaccines are currently authorized in the U.S., and approval could take years. Health experts say the change would make vaccination more costly and complicated for families. Parents would need more doctor visits, and some shots may lose insurance coverage. The order also reclassifies six vaccines—hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, flu, and COVID-19—under “shared clinical decision-making.” That status could make them optional and potentially excluded from insurance plans. The measles outbreak has infected more than 2,300 people so far in 2026, the highest number since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 93% to 94% of those infected were unvaccinated or had no vaccination record. Trump defended the order by repeating false claims about vaccine safety. “Together, there is a possibility that they are quite lethal,” he said about the combined MMR shot. He also linked vaccines to autism, a claim rejected by decades of scientific research. Kennedy echoed those statements, saying “something happened in the mid-90s that changed our children, and it has to be the exposure to environmental factors.” No scientific evidence supports these claims. The executive order challenges the authority of the CDC, which sets the official vaccination schedule. The agency has not endorsed the changes. Earlier this year, Kennedy attempted to reduce recommended vaccines from 17 to 11, but a federal judge blocked the move after pediatric and health groups sued. The new order goes further than that blocked attempt. Trump also previously advised pregnant women to stop taking acetaminophen—sold as Tylenol in the U.S.—claiming it could cause autism. That claim is also unsupported by scientific evidence.