BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday overhauling the way childhood vaccines are recommended, including a plan to eventually offer the MMR vaccine as three separate shots.
The order directs the federal government to move toward separating the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. Standalone vaccines for each disease are not currently available in the U.S. The administration says it wants those options developed while also keeping the combined MMR vaccine available.
The combined MMR vaccine remains available, and the executive order does not require parents to separate their child's MMR shots.
Trump said at the signing:
"Today, we're proud to officially announce the United States of America's gold standard childhood vaccination recommendations. And that has to do with many subjects, but including autism in particular."
The order also recommends that childhood vaccines be given during separate medical visits. Some public health experts have raised concerns that requiring more appointments could make it easier for families to miss vaccinations, leaving children unprotected for longer.
The administration is also changing which vaccines are routinely recommended for children. Some, including polio, tetanus, HPV and chickenpox, remain recommended for all children. Others, including some hepatitis and RSV immunizations, are now recommended only for certain high-risk groups.
Vaccines including the flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine are moved into a category where doctors and patients make the decision together.
The executive order does not change California's school vaccination requirements, which are set by the state. Critics of the changes say they could make it more difficult for children to get vaccinated on time and could create confusion about which vaccines children should receive.
Medical experts continue to say there is no scientific evidence that the MMR vaccine causes autism. I reached out to several local hospitals and physicians, but no one was available for comment.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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