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Trump’s new executive order reduces the number of recommended vaccines.
The never-ending vaccine debate is back on the table, just in time for back-to-school season. On Aug. 10, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to cut back the number of routine vaccines to give children, as well as reformulate them and space them out.
Titled the “Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans” act, the order aims to promote the “best scientifically supported medical advice in the world, as well as to protect religious liberty and parental authority.”
The order pares down the number of recommended vaccines from 17 to 11. The legislation also calls to split the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (dubbed MMR) into three shots—which lacks scientific basis and could mean more doctors appointments to pay for, experts say.
The Trump Administration has a history of disrupting the immunization standards—including letting go of every member of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group of experts that recommend immunizations.
Like the last vaccination overhaul in December 2025 (which a federal judge blocked), the legislation states that the U.S. currently recommends more childhood vaccines than other peer nations—though a “scientific assessment” notes many such countries maintain high childhood vaccination rates through education and trust in the public rather than strict mandates. Most peer countries still vaccinate against ~12–14 illnesses, except for Denmark, which only vaccinates against 10.
The latest overhaul didn’t come alongside any new evidence of the impact of vaccines. Doctors say, if anything, the changes will simply cause more confusion for families.
Some Republicans are speaking out against the changes as well: Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) called the executive order “a stupid thing to do” on social media. “Now, instead of your child getting two shots, she has to get six shots. Instead of you missing work to take your child to the doctor two times, you’re doing it six times, and instead of the insurance company paying for two visits, it’s now paying for six visits,” Cassidy, a physician, said.
Despite the changes, insurance companies such as Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna parent company CVS Health maintained they planned to continue to cover CDC-recommended pediatric care without copays for the time being, and the White House said free vaccination through the Vaccines for Children program will still remain in place.
Regardless of where your trust in the department or administration stands, chat with your physician to decide what is the best course of action for you—and for your child.
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