US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order introducing what his administration calls “Gold Standard” childhood vaccine recommendations, limiting the vaccines recommended for all children to those protecting against 11 diseases while retaining measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination.

The order gives parents greater choice over the timing and administration of vaccines and recommends separating the combined MMR vaccine into three individual shots. The White House said the recommendations are intended to align US childhood immunisation practices with what it describes as scientific evidence and practices followed by peer developed countries.

Trump Announces New Childhood Vaccine Policy

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said the administration was changing the number of vaccines recommended as routine immunisations for all children.

“Effective immediately, my administration is recognising Gold Standard childhood vaccine recommendations for only 11 core vaccinations against the most serious and dangerous diseases, along with the MMR,” Trump said.

Trump also said the MMR vaccine should be administered as three separate vaccinations at different times rather than as a combined shot.

“No parent should feel the pressure of immediately after their child is born, and a bunch of vaccines are pressured and pushed upon them. This is about freedom at the end of the day,” he said.

According to the White House, the new recommendations reduce the number of diseases for which immunisation is recommended for all children from 18 under the CDC’s 2024 recommendations to 11. Vaccines no longer recommended for every child have instead been placed under shared clinical decision-making, meaning parents and healthcare providers can consider them based on individual circumstances.

Administration Highlights Parental Choice

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr said the administration would maintain access to vaccines while increasing safety monitoring, research and information available to families.

“We will preserve access to vaccines, strengthen safety monitoring, expand research, give doctors and parents better information, and restore informed consent and parental choice to their rightful place in American medicine,” Kennedy said.

National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya said the changes would strengthen the role of parents in decisions concerning their children’s healthcare.

“This restores a healthy relationship between public health and parents,” Bhattacharya said.

White House adviser Stephen Miller also welcomed the policy, saying it would give parents and doctors greater authority over vaccination decisions.

“This is an action that ensures the dignity of patients, the dignity of parents. It restores choice and says we are going to let the parent and doctor make a sound medical decision,” Miller said.

MMR Vaccine Remains Part of Core Recommendations

The executive order retains MMR vaccination as part of the administration’s core childhood immunisation recommendations, while directing that measles, mumps and rubella vaccines be administered separately.

Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease. According to the CDC, two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97 per cent effective at preventing measles, while one dose is about 93 per cent effective.

Under CDC recommendations, children generally receive their first MMR dose between 12 and 15 months of age and the second between four and six years. Children travelling internationally may receive an early dose between six and 11 months, followed by the routine two-dose series.

The CDC says measles can cause serious complications, particularly in young children, including pneumonia and encephalitis. It continues to describe vaccination as the best way to protect against the disease.

Vaccine Safety Debate Continues

The new policy comes amid an ongoing debate in the United States over childhood vaccination, including claims about vaccine safety and effectiveness.

Kennedy has previously questioned aspects of the MMR vaccine, including stating that its protection “wanes very quickly”. Such claims have been challenged by public health experts and agencies. The CDC continues to recommend two doses of MMR for children and says most vaccinated people remain protected for life.

The CDC also states that serious adverse events following MMR vaccination are rare and that the risks associated with measles infection are greater than those associated with vaccination.

New Recommendations Follow Earlier Review

Monday’s order follows a process initiated by the Trump administration in December 2025 to compare US childhood vaccine recommendations with those of peer developed countries.

A May 2026 executive order directed the CDC and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to review a Department of Health and Human Services assessment and consider changes to the childhood and adolescent vaccine schedule.

The latest order now formally establishes the administration’s “Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations” and advises states with school vaccination requirements to consider whether their laws should be updated to reflect the new recommendations.

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