The World Health Organisation criticises the US administration’s reduction in recommended childhood vaccines, warning it undermines scientific consensus and could heighten vulnerability to preventable diseases.
The World Health Organisation has accused the Trump administration of moving away from science after the United States reduced the number of childhood vaccines it formally recommends and pushed for some combination jabs to be split into separate appointments. Speaking in Geneva, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the policy was “not in line with the state of science” and argued that vaccination rules should rest on independent, transparent evidence rather than political pressure.
Tedros also rejected Donald Trump’s repeated suggestion that vaccines are linked to autism. He said the scientific evidence was clear that vaccines, including the measles, mumps and rubella shot, are safe and do not cause autism. According to the WHO, the MMR vaccine is designed to protect children efficiently with a single appointment, whereas breaking it into multiple visits can make it harder for parents to complete the full schedule.
The criticism comes as the White House has moved to scale back federal recommendations from 18 vaccines to 11 and reclassify others as optional, according to El País. The change has been presented by Trump as part of a broader rethink of childhood immunisation, but public health experts warn it could leave more children exposed to preventable diseases if families miss doses or delay treatment.
WHO chief scientist Kate O’Brien said the policy was heading “exactly in the wrong direction”, while Le Monde said the administration’s approach is feeding distrust in vaccines at a time when confidence is already under strain. The French newspaper also linked the shift to the influence of vaccine sceptics around the president, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom it said has been given a major role in health policy. The WHO, for its part, has repeatedly argued that vaccination policy should be guided by evidence and global health cooperation, not ideology.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
