Doctors say Trump’s vaccine order will raise fears, cause confusion and endanger kids

Doctors have criticised President Donald Trump’s new executive order on childhood vaccines, warning that it could create fear and confusion among parents as measles spreads across the United States and vaccination rates continue to decline.

The order, signed Monday, calls for the federal government to explore separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three individual shots. It also encourages giving childhood vaccines at separate appointments when possible and directs the Department of Health and Human Services to consider changes to the existing childhood immunisation schedule.

Michigan pediatrician Dr. Molly O’Shea said the timing was particularly concerning as families prepare their children for a new school year.

She said parents are already arranging medical checkups and making sure their children are up to date with vaccinations. Questioning the safety or effectiveness of established vaccines, she argued, could undermine those efforts.

Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine researcher at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and former government adviser, said the recommendations promoted by Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were not supported by scientific evidence.

His concerns come as the US faces its largest measles outbreak in more than three decades. Doctors say measles can cause serious complications, particularly among young children who are not protected by vaccination.

Trump has also repeatedly raised questions about whether vaccines could contribute to autism, despite decades of research finding no connection between childhood vaccines and autism spectrum disorder.

Dr. Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the possible relationship had been examined in numerous studies worldwide and there was no evidence establishing a link.

Doctors also rejected Trump’s description of the current MMR vaccine as potentially “lethal”. They said the combined vaccine has undergone extensive research and safety monitoring and has a strong record of preventing measles, mumps and rubella.

O’Shea said there was no scientific advantage to separating the three vaccines. She argued that giving them together provides an effective immune response without exposing children to unnecessary delays between doses.

The US currently does not offer separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines for children, but the executive order directs federal health officials to develop a plan for making individual vaccines available.

Doctors are also concerned about competing vaccination schedules. Kennedy previously moved to change federal immunisation guidance after dismissing a 17-member vaccine advisory committee and appointing new members. A federal judge later blocked the resulting recommendations.

The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to recommend protection against 18 diseases in its 2026 immunisation schedule, while the federal recommendations cover fewer routine childhood vaccinations.

Experts fear conflicting advice could encourage some parents to delay or skip vaccines. Federal data shows kindergarten vaccination rates have fallen, while exemptions reached a record level during the 2024-25 school year.

Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, said parents need clear, evidence-based guidance rather than competing recommendations shaped by political decisions.