Trump Orders Changes to Childhood Vaccines Despite Medical Opposition

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (R) looks on as President Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order calling for changes to the childhood immunization schedule in the Oval Office of the in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 10, 2026. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images President Trump signed an executive order to split the MMR vaccine into individual shots, despite opposition from medical experts. Major health organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), warn that the changes are not supported by scientific evidence and could increase the risk of infectious diseases. The executive order is only a recommendation. There are no immediate changes to vaccine requirements or school mandates at the state level. A new federal recommendation sends conflicting messages about vaccine safety and raises alarm among medical experts. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 10 outlining major changes to the childhood immunization schedule. The order calls for the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to be administered as three separate shots and for childhood immunizations to…