President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday directed at reducing the number of vaccinations recommended for children in the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) responded Tuesday by defending the current science-based process used to establish immunization schedules globally.
The executive order calls for a revised childhood vaccination schedule consisting of 11 immunizations. President Trump stated the change is intended to provide "gold-standard" protection while aligning U.S. policy with other developed nations that recommend fewer vaccinations. The order also proposes splitting the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three separate injections.
WHO spokesperson Tarik Jašarević stated that vaccination timing is based on 60 years of research regarding disease vulnerability and immune system development. He noted that national schedules typically rely on independent technical advisory groups that utilize guidance from the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE). Vaccine manufacturer Merck stated there is no published evidence supporting the benefit of splitting the MMR shot, noting that separate visits could lead to delayed vaccinations.
The scale of the impact involves the entire U.S. pediatric population and the healthcare infrastructure supporting them. While the specific dollar impact or exact number of families affected was not reported, the order shifts the U.S. away from decades of established public health guidance. Vaccine experts noted that while some other developed countries have fewer recommendations, those nations manage different disease risks and operate under different healthcare systems.
The decision advances a long-standing goal of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has previously promoted claims linking vaccines to autism despite scientific studies finding no evidence of such a link. Public health experts and vaccine manufacturers said the existing U.S. schedule reflects the specific health needs of the American population. As of Tuesday, the WHO expressed hope that all countries would continue to use the best available scientific evidence when setting immunization policies. The specific date when the new schedule of 11 vaccinations takes effect was not reported.