Trump issues executive order aimed at rewriting childhood vaccine schedule

Trump signs executive order aimed at rewriting childhood vaccine schedule

The president called for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) combined vaccine to be split into separate shots, despite decades of research showing the MMR is safe and effective

By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron

President Donald Trump pictured with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in 2025

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President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday aimed at upending the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule. The order would nix the current measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) combined vaccine in favor of giving each shot individually.

A draft of the order obtained by the Washington Post directs Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to "present plans" to the president to break up the MMR vaccine into its separate constituents. Trump on Monday falsely suggested that for the combined vaccines, "there could be a possibility they’re quite lethal, and separately, it looks like they are not at all lethal, but just very effective." The overwhelming evidence shows that the MMR is both safe and effective with a low risk of adverse events.

The draft order directs federal agencies to classify childhood vaccines into three categories: vaccines recommended for all children; vaccines "recommended for certain high-risk groups or populations"; and immunizations given "based on shared clinical decision-making." It's unclear whether the order will have any real effect on the nation's vaccine schedule, which is set by the

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Vaccines in the first group—recommended for all children—include those for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP), as well as HPV and polio, among other conditions.

Those in the second group, for at-risk populations, include respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and hepatitis A and B and more, according to the executive order.

Among those in the third category, based on decision-making in consultation with a doctor, include hepatitis A and B, COVID-19, influenza and others.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

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