President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that calls for fewer childhood vaccines and recommends splitting the mumps, measles, and rubella (MMR) shots. The order also proposes reducing the number of recommended childhood vaccines from 18 to 11.
Vaccination Recommendations Under Fire
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has long recommended 18 vaccines for children to protect against serious and dangerous diseases. Trump's order suggests that the AAP's recommendations are outdated and that only 11 core vaccinations are necessary. The immunizations recommended for all children under the order are for measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus, and varicella or chicken pox.
Critics Speak Out
Experts are warning that Trump's executive order could lead to the re-emergence of diseases like measles. Dr. Andrew Racine, president of the AAP, called the order "disheartening" and "dangerous," pointing out that it comes as measles cases reach a 35-year high in the US. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy also criticized the order, stating that it is "wrong" and that vaccines are "overwhelmingly safe."
Separating the MMR Vaccine
The order recommends splitting the MMR vaccine into three individual shots, given over a series of visits to the doctor. Trump suggested that this approach could be "quite lethal" if given at once, comparing it to pouring a bottle of soda into a child's body. However, experts say that there is no published scientific evidence to support separating the combination MMR vaccine into three individual shots.
CDC Weighs In
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that there is "no published scientific evidence that shows any benefit in separating the combination MMR vaccine into three individual shots." The agency also notes that getting the MMR vaccine is "much safer than getting measles, mumps, or rubella." Despite this, Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said that the proposed changes were meant to give parents choice, not prohibit access to childhood vaccines.
Experts Fear Consequences
Multiple studies have found no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. However, experts fear that if parents refrain from getting their children vaccinated as a result of the discredited idea that childhood vaccines are linked to autism, it risks the re-emergence of diseases like measles. The CDC recommends that two doses of the combined MMR vaccine be given to children, starting with the first dose at 12-15 months and the second between the ages of four and six.
What Happens Next
The federal government does not have the authority to implement the new recommendations, as shots that are required for school attendance are set at the state level. It remains to be seen how Trump's executive order will affect vaccination rates and disease outbreaks in the US.
Source: Joy Online
