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U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday urging states to reconsider school vaccine mandates and pushing to split the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot into three separate injections.
Trump’s order functions as a non-binding advisory rather than a direct mandate because states have the direct authority to set school immunisation requirements.
The directive also instructs the Department of Health and Human Services to form a task force with the private sector to develop single-dose alternatives while maintaining access to combined vaccines.
Medical experts, public health officials, and politicians swiftly condemned the order as scientifically baseless and dangerous.
New York City Health Commissioner Alister Martin criticised the policy for relying on politics and conspiracy theories, emphasising that cities and states set their own requirements.
Senator Bill Cassidy also denounced the move, warning that the president lacks the medical expertise to alter vaccine policy and that splitting shots will only increase vaccine hesitancy, putting children at risk.
The administration’s push aligns with the long-held agenda of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who continues to promote the disproven link between immunisations and autism.
Public health organisations, including the American Academy of Paediatrics, reaffirmed that decades of clinical data prove the combined MMR shot is safe, effective, and crucial for providing rapid immunity.
The executive order comes as a federal court continues to block previous administration attempts to overhaul vaccine policies and as the nation faces its worst measles outbreak in 35 years.
