President Donald Trump has signed an executive order (EO) that significantly narrows the recommendations for paediatric immunisation, marking the latest attempt from the US government to overhaul the country’s vaccine landscape.
As per the order, all children are now recommended to receive vaccines that provide protection against 11 diseases, reflecting a drop from the 18 diseases currently suggested by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The order points to measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus, and varicella being included in recommendations for children. Other diseases, including hepatitis A and B, dengue, and meningococcal strains, amongst others, would only be recommended for high-risk groups.
Providing the reason for the change, the White House pointed to a study conducted by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which compared childhood immunisation recommendations in the country to those of peer nations. The research also analysed vaccine uptake and public trust, evaluated clinical and epidemiological evidence, and vaccine mandates.
According to the White House, the assessment found that the US currently recommends more childhood vaccines than any peer nation, including more than twice as many vaccine doses as some European nations. The study also found that, instead of implementing vaccination mandates, most peer nations maintain high childhood vaccination rates through public trust and education.
In a statement, the White House said: “The order maximises parental choice over childhood vaccines by promoting state compliance with constitutional and federal law related to parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations, and equal protection under the law.”
“The scientific assessment recommends prioritising 11 routine childhood vaccines, while preserving flexibility for parents and doctors to make individualised decisions for higher-risk children through shared clinical decision-making,” the White House added.
Mike Ybarra, CMO at trade body Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), said that this stance would not reflect the gold standard science the US aspires to.
Ybarra said: “Simply imposing a narrower schedule by importing recommendations from foreign countries wouldn’t reflect gold standard science – it would mean accepting a lower bar of protection against diseases that remain serious and, in some cases, life-threatening for children in the US.”
Meanwhile, Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), said the changes reflect a continued reliance on non-evidence-based data.
“There is no new evidence to justify significant changes to childhood immunisation guidance. Dozens of studies involving millions of people show there is no link between vaccines and autism, and yet federal leaders continue to promote this outdated, disproven idea to scare families. Today’s EO will do nothing to support families of children with autism or advance understanding of the condition,” he said.
Another point of upheaval concerns the combined MMR vaccine, a successful jab that has been used for around half a century. Trump’s latest order recommends separating it into three single-disease shots, along with administering all vaccines during separate medical visits to give parents more options regarding the timing and frequency of this vaccine administration.
The Trump administration’s previous attempts to overhaul childhood vaccine recommendations have faced legal challenges. In January, the CDC controversially slashed six vaccines off the immunisation schedule. Medical bodies have continually pushed back against immunisation upheavals in the country, which they say leave children susceptible to illness. Following the upheaval, the AAP filed a lawsuit against HHS and its chief Robert F Kennedy (RFK) Jr challenging changes to vaccine recommendations. In March 2026, a federal judge blocked several of these changes, marking a setback at the time for the Trump administration. With a new EO now signed, it is likely that further legal challenges will follow.
