The World Health Organization has reaffirmed its support for established childhood vaccination schedules following a US presidential order to alter recommended vaccination timings, highlighting the importance of evidence-based immunisation practices.
The World Health Organization has defended long-standing childhood immunisation schedules after President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to shift the timing of recommended shots in the United States. WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said the guidance is grounded in decades of international research on how the immune system develops, when children are most vulnerable to disease and how best to maintain protection. He urged governments to follow what he described as the strongest available scientific evidence.
The order says the administration wants U.S. childhood vaccine recommendations to be aligned with scientific evidence and best practices in peer developed countries while keeping access to vaccines available to Americans. It lists routine shots for all children, including those for measles, mumps and rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus and varicella. It also refers to vaccines and related products for some higher-risk groups, including respiratory syncytial virus monoclonal antibodies and hepatitis A and B.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says its childhood schedule covers children from birth through age 18 and is designed to protect against preventable diseases at the times children are most at risk. WHO says immunisation remains one of the most effective public health tools for controlling and eliminating serious infectious diseases, while the CDC says vaccines also help protect people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons by contributing to community immunity.
The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly criticised the order. Andrew Racine, the group’s president, said it was not based on “gold-standard science” and argued there was no new evidence to justify major changes to childhood immunisation advice. He said decades of studies involving millions of people have found no link between vaccines and autism, and warned that delaying or skipping doses could create confusion and raise risks as measles continues to spread and children return to school.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
