Trump Signs Executive Order Reducing Recommended Childhood Vaccines to Eleven

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday defended its immunization guidelines after the Trump administration's decision to decrease the number of recommended childhood vaccines in the U.S. President Trump signed an executive order on Monday that reinforced his administration's push to reduce the number of recommended vaccines for children from 17 to 11.

The directive also encourages parents to spread out vaccination schedules for their children and would split the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot across three separate doctor's visits. President Trump stated the order aims to maximize parental choice over childhood vaccines and linked vaccines to an increase in autism diagnoses, a claim described as unproven.

He also said it is essential to have the best vaccine recommendations in the entire world. Medical organizations and experts have criticized the executive order. The president of the American Medical Association stated the new recommendations put children's health at risk. The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics called the order dangerous, noting that measles cases have reached a 35-year high in the U.S. Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House coordinator of the COVID-19 pandemic under former President Biden, spoke out against the move.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), a doctor, called the executive order wrong and said President Trump does not have the expertise to make these changes. Stephen Miller, a former White House official, described the childhood vaccine schedule as a medical travesty during the signing event. President Trump questioned why the establishment media refuses to reexamine vaccines, suggesting medical and pharmaceutical groups could be the reason.