President Trump signed an executive order calling for a reduction in recommended childhood vaccines and the separation of the MMR shot.
Key facts
- •The executive order calls for reducing the total number of government-recommended childhood vaccines.
- •The directive proposes splitting the combined MMR vaccine into individual shots.
- •The Justice Department is directed to pressure states to reduce school-mandated vaccines.
- •Previous attempts by the administration to change the vaccine schedule have been blocked in court.
- •Public health experts have denounced the new executive order.
President Trump signed an executive order on Monday in the Oval Office aimed at altering the federal government's recommended childhood vaccine schedule. The directive calls for a reduction in the total number of vaccines recommended for children and proposes splitting the current MMR vaccine into separate shots for measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox.
Directives to Federal and State Agencies
Beyond changes to the recommended schedule, the executive order instructs the Justice Department to pressure states to lower the number of vaccines required for school attendance. The administration has previously faced legal challenges when attempting to modify vaccination schedules.
Public and Expert Reaction
During the signing ceremony, the president linked the need for vaccine study to rising autism rates, a theory that has been debunked by scientific research. The executive order has drawn praise from vaccine critics while facing condemnation from public health experts.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by NPR Health.
