President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday that significantly reshapes federal childhood immunisation guidelines, reducing the number of universally recommended vaccines and directing states to reconsider school entry requirements.
Under the order, only six of 17 routinely recommended childhood vaccines retain full universal recommendations, while the MMR vaccine is to be split into three separate injections once available. Six other vaccines, including those for Covid-19 and influenza, move to a shared clinical decision-making category. The US attorney general is tasked with challenging state laws that conflict with the directive. Trump, who repeatedly invoked discredited theories linking vaccines to autism without providing evidence, called the move a historic step to make America healthy again.
The American Academy of Pediatrics broke with federal guidance, continuing to recommend vaccination against 18 childhood diseases, as measles cases have reached a 35-year high. Legal experts noted the order may lack immediate operational effect but could intensify political pressure on states.