On Monday, August 11, 2026, the American Medical Association (AMA) publicly criticized President Trump’s new executive order recommending changes to the childhood immunization schedule. The order suggests pediatricians administer the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine across three separate visits instead of a single combined dose. It also categorizes vaccines into groups based on risk and consultation requirements.

Dr. Willie Underwood III, AMA president, stated that vaccines are among the most thoroughly studied and effective tools to protect children from serious diseases. He emphasized that decisions about vaccine use should be based on rigorous scientific evidence, patient safety, and independent medical expertise. Underwood warned that altering a proven vaccination schedule without credible evidence risks weakening public confidence and endangering children’s health.

The AMA’s concerns were echoed by Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), who called the president’s recommendations “not only disheartening but dangerous.” Racine highlighted that the AAP’s immunization schedule is based on specific disease risks and healthcare delivery in the U.S.

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a medical doctor, also criticized the executive order, stating that President Trump had “no expertise” to issue the new guidelines and described them as “so wrong.”

President Trump, flanked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F., defended the changes by suggesting that people were healthier in earlier times and that high rates of autism observed today did not exist then.

The executive order and ensuing criticisms highlight ongoing debates over vaccine schedules and public health policy in the United States.

Sources