United States: Donald Trump attacks children’s vaccination schedule, specialists are alarmed

PUBLIC HEALTH: In the United States, Donald Trump wants to space out certain vaccines administered to children and separate those against measles, rubella and mumps

Vaccination policy in the United States is experiencing a new change as the start of the school year approaches. Monday, Donald Trump signed a decree recommending in particular to space out the administration of certain vaccines to children and to dissociate those against measles, rubella and mumps. The federal government, which cannot directly impose these decisions, advises American states to review vaccination obligations for attending schools. This initiative comes as the United States is experiencing its worst epidemic measles for 35 years.

During the presentation of the decree in the Oval Office, Donald Trump again associated vaccination and autism, even though medical research has never established a link between the two. Decades ago, children received only a small fraction of the vaccines in demand today. At the time people were much healthier and, of course, the high rate of autism we see today did not exist”, he said, while acknowledging: “We don’t know ” what causes autism.

Compromising child safety

The American president also mentioned injections “the size of a bottle of soda” administered to children, without specifying what this comparison corresponded to. He also wants vaccines against measles, rubella and mumps to be offered separately rather than as a single injection. The Ministry of Health is to create a working group to study this possibility “by collaborating with the private sector and other countries, where appropriate”. White House officials questioned about the reasons for this dissociation did not provide a clear explanation.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) opposes this change. Its president, Andrew Racine, estimates that it would take more than a decade to develop separate vaccines approved in the United States. “We recommend continuing to administer to children a vaccine whose safety is backed by decades of data”, said Aaron M. Milstone of the AAP. Republican Senator and doctor Bill Cassidy also criticized the decree, saying it could “increase distrust and compromise the safety of children”.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. initiated a review of vaccines

“This decree is an error. The president does not have the expertise to implement these changes. Vaccines are extremely safe. Vaccines are effective. Vaccines DO NOT CAUSE autism added Bill Cassidy. Since his appointment as Minister of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, known for his positions anti-vaccines, initiated a broad review of vaccines, modified the schedule of pediatric vaccinations and removed funding for the development of new vaccines, drawing strong criticism from the medical and scientific community.

American justice had suspended earlier in 2026 the overhaul of the vaccination policy initiated by Robert F. Kennedy Jr, several healthcare associations considering these measures illegal. Jeffrey Singer of the Cato Institute also criticized the new direction: “The Trump administration’s proposed changes to the childhood immunization schedule illustrate the risks of allowing government recommendations to take a privileged place in decision-making medical decision”.