Key facts
- President Donald Trump issued an executive order aiming to reduce the number of vaccines children receive.
- The order specifically called for splitting the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three separate shots.
- Leading health organizations and independent experts have condemned the order as dangerous, unscientific, and harmful to children's health.
- The pharmaceutical industry group PhRMA stated the order undermines established vaccine policy.
- Manufacturers Merck and GSK confirmed that no scientific evidence supports separating the MMR vaccine into individual shots.
US President Donald Trump's recent executive order mandating changes to vaccine policy, including splitting the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into separate shots, has ignited widespread criticism from public health experts and the pharmaceutical industry.
Various medical organizations and independent experts have labeled the order "dangerous," "unscientific," and "false and misleading," expressing concerns for children's health. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which has previously challenged Trump's administration on vaccine recommendations, is leading a lawsuit against the changes.
Unexpectedly, the pharmaceutical industry itself has also voiced strong opposition. PhRMA, representing major drugmakers like GSK, Sanofi, Pfizer, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson, issued a statement calling the order a debasement of America's vaccine policy. PhRMA's Chief Medical Officer Michael Ybarra emphasized that vaccine recommendations should be based on rigorous scientific research and public health expertise, not imported foreign recommendations that could lower protection against serious diseases.
Merck and GSK, manufacturers of the MMR vaccines used in the US, explicitly stated that there is no scientific evidence to support separating the combination vaccine into individual shots. They highlighted that the current MMR vaccine is safe, effective, and convenient, backed by decades of use and robust scientific evidence.
Robyn Blumner, president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry, criticized both Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., calling the order a product of "complete disregard" for evidence-based science and the administration's "hostility toward evidence-based science."