Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 10, 2026, to overhaul U.S. pediatric vaccine recommendations, reducing routine childhood vaccines from 18 to 11 diseases and splitting the combined MMR vaccine into three separate shots administered at different visits.
The order calls for vaccines no longer universally recommended—including COVID-19, flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, and meningitis—to be based on high-risk groups or shared clinical decision-making with doctors.
The directive is advisory, not a federal mandate, as state laws govern school immunization requirements; however, it urges agencies to promote these changes and warns states against restricting vaccine exemptions.
Major medical groups have criticized the move, arguing it undermines protections against preventable diseases, while the administration claims access and insurance coverage for all vaccines will remain unchanged.
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