Trump Signs Order to Reduce Childhood Vaccines, Split MMR Shot

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday, August 10, 2026, that recommends a significant reduction in the number of routine childhood vaccines and calls for separating the combined measles, mumps, and rubella shot into individual doses. The order, which aims to reshape federal immunization guidance, has drawn immediate and widespread criticism from major medical organizations, which warn it could undermine public health and is not based on scientific evidence.

The executive order directs the Department of Health and Human Services to develop new "Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations." It proposes reducing the number of core vaccines recommended for all children from 18 to 11. The order recommends that vaccines for diseases such as hepatitis A and B, meningococcal B, and rotavirus be limited to high-risk populations only. It also advises that immunizations for influenza and COVID-19 be subject to "shared clinical decision-making" between parents and doctors rather than being routinely recommended.

A central provision calls for splitting the combined MMR vaccine into three separate shots, a move made against broad scientific consensus. The order also...