The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern that recent changes to the United States' child vaccination policy, driven by President Donald Trump's administration, contradict decades of scientific evidence. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that vaccination policies should be based on rigorous scientific review rather than political influence.
President Trump signed an order on Monday advocating for a reconsideration of school vaccine mandates and reiterating calls to separate the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three individual doses. This move comes as the U.S. is experiencing its most severe measles outbreak in 35 years, with schools set to reopen, potentially accelerating the spread of infections.
Tedros emphasized that the scientific consensus is clear: vaccines, including the MMR vaccine, are safe and do not cause autism. He warned in a post on X that delaying vaccinations or unnecessarily separating doses does not enhance safety and could leave children vulnerable. "Vaccination policy should be guided by rigorous, independent and transparent review of the best available science, not by political influence," he wrote.
The WHO chief noted that evidence demonstrates the effectiveness of vaccines, clarifies the necessary dosage, and identifies which vaccines can be safely administered together. This evidence, he added, is subject to continuous review as global data evolves.
President Trump's Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has previously founded an anti-vaccine group and promoted a discredited link between the MMR shot and autism. Kennedy has reportedly initiated a review of vaccines, altered the child vaccination schedule, and reduced funding for new vaccine development. These actions have drawn significant criticism from the medical and scientific communities.
In 2025, President Trump announced plans to withdraw the U.S. from the WHO after 77 years. Medical research has consistently failed to establish any link between autism and vaccination, though some skeptics continue to suggest a possible connection.
Tedros reassured parents that vaccines are among the most effective tools for protecting children's health and preventing deadly diseases. This intervention from the WHO follows a period where U.S. courts had previously suspended a vaccine policy overhaul initiated by the administration.