Former President Donald Trump signed an executive order that seeks to scale back federal childhood vaccine recommendations and pressure states to dilute their vaccine requirements. The order also proposes splitting the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Doctors have expressed concerns that the order could increase vaccine hesitancy and uncertainty. Trump cited rising autism rates as a reason for the policy changes during the signing ceremony, stating that children in previous decades received fewer vaccines and that observed autism rates were lower. He also made a claim that current childhood vaccines are the size of a "bottle of soda."
Medical experts counter that vaccine doses are typically a teaspoon or less. One physician described Trump's comments as "embarrassing for this country."