On Monday, August 11, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order in the Oval Office establishing new recommendations for childhood vaccinations in the United States. The order proposes limiting the number of vaccines recommended for children and categorizing them into tiers: some vaccines would be advised for all children, while others, such as those against RSV and hepatitis A and B, would be recommended only for children considered at higher risk.

The executive order directs the Health and Human Services Department to reassess vaccine sequencing and timing within 90 days. President Trump emphasized the role of autism in the guidance, stating, "Today, we're proud to officially announce the United States of America's Gold Standard Childhood Vaccination Recommendations and that has to do with many subjects, but including autism in particular."

He also remarked on the historical context, noting, "Decades ago, children received only a small fraction of the vaccines required today," and added, "In many cases, we were requiring 72 jabs for our beautiful, healthy, lovely, delicate little children."

The announcement follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation earlier in January to reduce the number of childhood vaccinations to cover 11 diseases.

Richard Besser, a pediatrician and president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, commented to CBS News that the issue has become politicized, saying, "What we're seeing now is the injection of politics into something that should be a very personal conversation between a parent and their child's doctor." Besser has extensive experience at the CDC, including serving as acting director.

The executive order aims to adjust vaccine schedules by spreading out visits over a year to a year and a half, so children receive about 20% of the vaccines at one time compared to previous schedules.

Sources