US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 11, 2026, directing a revised childhood immunisation schedule that recommends vaccinating children against 11 diseases—six fewer than the current recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Trump administration's changes also include breaking up combined vaccines such as the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) shot, aiming to give parents more options on timing and frequency for their children. However, public health experts warn that spacing out vaccines could increase the risk of children contracting vaccine-preventable diseases before completing their immunisations.

Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine critic, claimed that American children currently receive 72 shots under the existing schedule, a figure the Trump administration has been reported to have erroneously cited. Critics argue that breaking up vaccines will result in children needing more shots to achieve the same protection, potentially increasing vaccine hesitancy and reducing safety.

Lawrence Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University, noted that the Supreme Court's interpretation of presidential powers might allow Trump to override CDC director Erica Schwartz if she opposes the new recommendations. Dr. Jones highlighted the urgency of vaccination, citing a recent outbreak that affected over 2,400 Americans—mostly unvaccinated—and caused three deaths.

Medical professionals have expressed strong opposition to the executive order, describing it as based on pseudoscience that could harm children and "muddy the waters on the safety and effectiveness of childhood immunisation." This directive represents a significant shift in US vaccination policy and poses a critical test for CDC leadership.

Sources