Chicago – August 16, 2026
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician and chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, has strongly criticized President Donald Trump’s recent executive order on childhood vaccines, calling it “counterproductive” and “wrong on so many levels.”edition.
The order, signed on August 10, 2026, directs that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine be split into three separate single-disease shots administered at different medical visits, and reduces the recommended childhood immunization schedule from 18 to 11 vaccines. Cassidy warned that this approach would inconvenience families, increase healthcare costs, and ultimately leave more children vulnerable to preventable diseases.
“Instead of going to the doctor twice to get their child vaccinated, they have to go six times,” Cassidy said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “This is inconvenient. It’s going to contribute to an increased loss of income.” He emphasized that breaking up combination vaccines means children receive more injections overall, not fewer, and could fuel vaccine hesitancy.
Medical experts and immunologists have echoed Cassidy’s concerns, noting there is no scientific evidence supporting the separation of MMR vaccines and that spacing out shots increases the risk of infection before children complete their immunizations. Cassidy urged parents to consult pediatricians rather than follow what he termed an “inaccurate executive order.”
