The World Health Organization criticises the Trump administration’s reduction and division of routine childhood immunisations, warning it contradicts scientific evidence and endangers children’s health amid shifting US policies.
The World Health Organization has warned that the Trump administration’s new vaccine order in the United States is at odds with long-standing scientific evidence and could leave children less protected against preventable diseases. On Monday, 10 August 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would cut routine childhood immunisations from 18 to 11 and push officials to separate the combined measles, mumps and rubella shot into three individual appointments.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency was concerned the changes did not reflect decades of research on the best age to vaccinate children, how many doses are needed and which vaccines can safely be given together. He said the evidence was clear that vaccines, including the MMR jab, are safe and do not cause autism. He also argued that delaying doses or splitting them up without medical reason does not make vaccination safer and can leave children exposed to infection.
WHO has long cast immunisation as one of public health’s most effective tools. The agency says vaccines help prevent more than 30 life-threatening diseases and save millions of lives each year, while also supporting primary care and helping to control outbreaks. Tedros has repeatedly framed vaccine access as a global equity issue, saying protection should not depend on where a child is born.
The dispute comes amid a wider shift in U.S. vaccine policy. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has been reconsidering vaccine recommendations, a move that public health experts say could weaken confidence in routine shots. Earlier this year, a federal judge also blocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from carrying out major vaccine policy changes after medical groups challenged the plan in court.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
