Trump Signs Order Reducing Childhood Vaccines and Splitting MMR Shot

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 11, 2026, titled "Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations," which reduces the number of universally recommended childhood immunizations from 18 to 11. The order removes universal recommendations for vaccines against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, influenza, Covid-19, and meningococcal disease, shifting them to a shared clinical decision-making model between parents and doctors. A central mandate of the order requires the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to be split into three separate injections administered during separate medical visits.

During the Oval Office announcement, Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested a link between vaccines and autism, with Trump claiming the combined MMR shot could be "quite lethal." Medical experts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization have condemned these claims as baseless, noting that no scientific evidence supports the separation of the MMR vaccine. Manufacturers Merck & Co. and GSK warned that single-disease MMR shots are not currently produced in the U.S. and could take up to a decade to obtain FDA approval and manufacture.

The order also directs Attorney General Todd Blanche to challenge state laws that prohibit religious or medical vaccine exemptions. In response, several states, including New York, Virginia, New Mexico, and Nevada, have rejected the federal guidance and vowed to maintain their existing immunization requirements. Additionally, California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii formed the West Coast Health Alliance to uphold science-based recommendations.

The signing event drew significant controversy after video circulated showing Trump appearing to fall asleep while officials spoke. While the White House claimed he was merely "blinking," political opponents characterized the incident as a national security crisis.