Trump signs order cutting childhood vaccines from 18 to 11 types
Regulation
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday, August 10, to reduce the number of vaccines recommended for all American children from 18 types to 11 types, with several vaccines downgraded to vaccines for specific at-risk groups or left to doctors and parents to decide together on a case-by-case basis. The order also proposes splitting vaccine administration into multiple visits instead of combined shots, and directs the Department of Health to study separating the MMR vaccine instead of a single combined shot. The White House cited scientific evidence and comparisons with other countries, stating that the United States recommends more vaccines than other developed nations. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health, is the driving force behind this change, while medical organizations and experts have pushed back, saying there is no new evidence to support it and warning that it could increase the risk of delayed or missed vaccinations. This comes amid a measles outbreak in which the United States has confirmed 2,465 cases in 2026, the highest number in 35 years.
