Trump orders fewer childhood vaccines, splits up MMR shots

President Trump signed an executive order on Monday that lowered the recommended number of childhood vaccines and directed federal policy toward splitting some shots into separate doctor visits. The order specifically called for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to be broken into three separate injections given at different medical appointments.

The move arrived as parents were already weighing back-to-school immunizations, and pediatricians said the practical next step remained the same: talk with a child’s own doctor. One physician said parents should “ignore what the president is saying” about vaccines, while other doctors said the revised schedule could make it harder to advise families about which shots should be given together.

The move put the White House on a collision course with mainstream medical advice. The new recommendations ran against guidance from medical groups, and Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a doctor, sharply criticized the executive order. The MMR vaccine has been routinely given as one combined shot for decades.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X that the order called for more “vaccine flexibility and research.” A draft of the order said there should be a more limited number of vaccines recommended for children. Trump has long believed that childhood shots should be spaced out.

On May 29, 2026, Trump signed another executive order directing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to align with a scientific assessment from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that called for fewer childhood vaccines. In March 2026, a federal judge blocked parts of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine agenda, including a new childhood vaccine schedule.

Dr. Jason L. Schwartz, a vaccine expert at Yale, said parents should be prepared to ask questions of their pediatricians about the updated recommendations.