Chicago – August 10, 2026
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing officials to revise childhood vaccination recommendations, with the administration seeking to reduce the number of vaccines advised for children.
The order endorses recommendations covering 11 diseases, down from 18 included in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2024 guidance, according to a White House fact sheet. It places vaccines—including those for hepatitis A and B, influenza, COVID-19 and meningococcal diseases—in categories for high-risk groups or shared decision-making between parents and doctors.
The directive calls for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to be divided into three shots, administered during different visits when products become available. Separate MMR vaccines are not available in the United States, AP reported. The order gives the Department of Health and Human Services 90 days to reassess vaccine timing and sequencing.
Trump has suggested a link between vaccines and autism, but decades of scientific research have found no causal connection. The order cannot impose school vaccination rules because those requirements are controlled by states. Health organizations have criticized the changes as inconsistent with medical guidance.
