Trump wants MMR split into 3 shots, other vaccines given at separate visits

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday calling for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to eventually be split into three separate shots and for childhood vaccines to be given at separate medical visits.

The order does not immediately eliminate the combined MMR vaccine. Instead, the administration says it wants single-disease alternatives developed while guaranteeing that the combination vaccines remain available.

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The changes are part of the Trump administration's broader overhaul of federal childhood vaccine recommendations, which divides vaccines into three categories:

• Immunizations recommended for all children: measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus, and varicella
• Immunizations recommended for certain high-risk groups or populations: respiratory syncytial virus monoclonal antibodies, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal B, meningococcal ACWY, and dengue
• Immunizations based on shared clinical decision-making: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, influenza, and COVID-19

For parents, the changes could eventually mean more trips to the doctor's office if vaccines that are currently administered together are instead spread across separate appointments.

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The order does not change state vaccination requirements for children attending school. Those requirements are set by individual states. Trump is instead advising states to review their requirements and consider changes based on the federal government's new recommendations.

Dr. Michael Osterholm, executive director of the Vaccine Integrity Project, pushed back on the executive order, saying it does not change the scientific evidence about childhood vaccinations.

“We encourage parents to discuss questions about vaccination with their pediatrician or other trusted health care provider and to continue following the evidence-based recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and other leading medical societies,” he said.