President Trump signed an executive order Monday that reduces the number of recommended childhood vaccines to 11 core inoculations, down from 17, and specifically called for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to be administered in three separate doses rather than as a combination shot. Trump stated that the combined MMR vaccine could be "quite lethal" and suggested administering it separately would mitigate this risk.
"Effective immediately, my administration is recognizing gold standard childhood vaccine recommendations for only 11 core vaccinations against the most serious and dangerous diseases, along with the MMR, which hopefully will be split up," Trump said in the Oval Office. He elaborated that while the combined MMR vaccine might pose a risk, separated doses appear "not at all lethal, but just very effective."
Trump also commented on the volume of vaccines administered to children, remarking on the size of one injection and stating that "bad things happen in many too many cases." He noted that parents retain the option to give their children all vaccinations if they choose. The president also referenced groups with "virtually no problem with autism" that are "not big into the world of vaccines."
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who accompanied Trump for the signing, expressed skepticism about the timeline of increased autism diagnoses. "We're only noticing it in kids who were born around 1989 or after. The older generations are not seeing those increases," Kennedy said. "So something happened in the in the mid 90s that changed our children, and it has to be an environmental exposure. You need an environmental toxin."