A new executive order calls for American children to be routinely immunized against 11 diseases instead of the 17 now recommended by federal health officials.
President Donald Trump signed the order Monday — the third such order in less than a year. Whether it carries any legal force is unclear, according to The New York Times.
The shortened childhood vaccine schedule would keep shots for measles, mumps, rubella, polio and chickenpox.
Vaccines against COVID-19, flu, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, hepatitis A and hepatitis B would be recommended only for children considered high risk, or after “shared decision-making” conversations between parents and doctors.
Routine vaccine recommendations are made by an expert panel that advises the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and only states can require shots for school or day care.
The order also directs the attorney general to challenge states that limit exemptions for religious or medical reasons.
A federal judge froze an earlier version of the policy, agreeing with medical groups that the administration had bypassed established, evidence-based practice, according to The Times.
Trump said he was motivated partly by concerns that vaccines are tied to autism, though dozens of studies involving millions of people have found no such link.
He also claimed the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine could be lethal, and the order urges splitting it into separate shots and medical visits.
There is no evidence the combined MMR shot is lethal, and decades of data support its safety, reports The Times. Single-disease versions used in some countries would need testing in the U.S. first.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, said American children receive 72 to 94 shots. Children may actually receive as many as 35 by age 5, a count that includes recommended but optional shots such as the yearly flu vaccine, according to The Times.
“There’s no science behind these recommendations,” said Michael Osterholm, who directs the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. “It’s all about ideology.”
Measles cases have reached a 35-year high, making the order “not only disheartening but dangerous,” Dr. Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), said in a statement. “Delaying or skipping shots is risky, especially as measles continues to spread and children go back to school.”
The American College of Physicians warned the president’s changes could raise costs for families, including added copays, and force parents to schedule multiple appointments for a split MMR series.
Dr. Jan Carney, the group’s president, said the order creates barriers to vaccine access.
The order further urges officials to explore alternatives to aluminum, an ingredient added to vaccines for decades to strengthen immune response. Despite studies showing it is safe, Kennedy has repeatedly questioned its safety.
AAP has released its own vaccine schedule urging parents to make sure children get the previously recommended shots.
When families come into clinic with questions regarding vaccines, here’s how clinicians can respond without assuming distrust or noncompliance:
Recent changes to childhood vaccine guidance from healthcare organizations and the government aren’t happening in a vacuum. For Black children and families who may already be facing barriers to consistent preventive care, a more complicated vaccination process could create additional opportunities for delayed or missed immunizations.
More information
Visit the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information about childhood immunizations.
SOURCES: The New York Times, Aug. 10, 2026; American Academy of Pediatrics, statement, Aug. 10, 2026; American College of Physicians, statement, Aug. 10, 2026
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