State and Medical experts repond to Executive Order on childhood vaccines

OLYMPIA — President Trump signed Executive Order 14420, titled “Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans,” on August 10, 2026. 

The order aims to change the federal childhood vaccine policy. It revises the recommendations for the childhood vaccination schedule and directs health care providers to administer individual shots for measles, mumps, and rubella, splitting the MMR vaccine. Separate vaccines have not been manufactured in the U.S since 2008, and could take a decade before they are available. 

The order also reduces the number of  universal core vaccines, those recommended for all children, from 17 to 11. They are:

Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)

Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTaP)

Polio

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

Pneumococcal disease

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

Chickenpox (Varicella)

The following are the vaccines now designated for high-risk or shared clinical decision-making:

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis B

Influenza (Flu)

COVID-19

Rotavirus

Meningococcal disease

In response to the reclassification, Yale School of Public Health vaccine expert, Jason L. Schwartz, M.D. said, “What we need to remember is that all of those vaccines that have been removed from the CDC’s recommended list prevent serious diseases that can make kids very, very sick.”

“Hep B, for instance, can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, cancer, and death,” said Schwartz. “Many of these symptoms can take decades to develop, and there is no cure.”

The order directs the U.S. Attorney General to pursue legal actions against states with laws that restrict non-medical or religious vaccine exemptions for school attendance. 

States that have enacted school vaccine requirements are “advised to consider” the new recommendations and update their laws accordingly, though the order cannot mandate that they do so. 

Most states have exemptions, including for religious beliefs, although implementation varies from state to state. 

Washington State allows four types of school vaccine exemptions: 

Medical Exemption: A licensed health care practitioner must sign a written statement saying a specific vaccine is harmful or not advisable for the child.

Religious Exemption: A parent or guardian signs a declaration stating that the immunization goes against their sincere religious beliefs.

Religious Membership: An exemption based on membership in a religious body that objects to medical treatment. 

Personal/Philosophical Exemption: A parent signs a statement objecting to a vaccine due to personal beliefs. This does not apply to the  MMR vaccine.

The exemption recommendations in the executive order are consistent with the administration’s focus that parents should be able to decide on their own whether their children are vaccinated. 

Joshua Sharfstein, M.D., from  John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said, “The problem with that is that if too many kids aren’t vaccinated, the entire population is at risk as a virus circulates, and individuals who can’t get the vaccine due to a medical condition are at special risk. 

The Washington State Department of Health said it will not change the state’s childhood vaccine and schedule guidelines following President Trump’s executive order. 

The DOH said it will continue to make recommendations based on data from professional medical and health organizations that reflect a broad consensus on the safety and benefits of the recommended immunizations. These recommendations provide guidence for effective coversations between parents and their families’ healthcare providers.

During the signing ceremony at the White House, a number of statements by the President and other officials were found to be misleading or false. Below is a consensus in fact-checking by the Associated Press, Reuters News, and pediatric health organizations: 

Vaccine Dose Sizes

Claim: Trump said, “And I saw this early on, and I’ve seen proof of it, where they have a vaccination thing, looks like the size of a bottle of soda poured into a little child’s body.”

Fact: False. A standard dose of a childhood vaccine like the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot is roughly 0.5 milliliters—about a tenth of a teaspoon.

Safety of the MMR Vaccine

Claim: When advocating for giving the MMR vaccine in three separate jabs, Trump said: “Together, there could be a possibility they’re quite lethal.”

Fact: False. Extensive global medical data and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the combined MMR vaccine is safe, effective, and far safer than contracting the natural diseases it prevents. Serious adverse reactions are exceedingly rare.

Studies in the U.S. and other countries have shown that combination vaccines, like MMR, increase the likelihood that children will be fully protected from infectious diseases before starting school.

Vaccines and Autism

Claim: Trump implied a connection between a rise in autism rates and an increase in childhood vaccines, claiming autism used to be “one in 10,000 20 years ago”.

Fact: False. Decades of global epidemiological research, including by the World Health Organization (WHO), have found no causal link between vaccines and autism. The autism rate 20 years ago was significantly higher than one in 10,000. Historical estimates from the CDC placed it between 1 in 88 and 1 in 110. 

Why do some parents worry that childhood MMR vaccinations cause autism? 

The idea that the MMR vaccine causes autism originated from an article published in “The Lancet” by Andrew Wakefield and 12 co-authors in 1998. The paper suggested the MMR vaccine caused autism, even though it was based on a study of only 12 children, chosen because they had developmental disorders. 

In 2010, after the UK’s General Medical Council found Wakefield guilty of serious professional misconduct, dishonesty, and ethical violations regarding the fraudulent 1998 study. He lost his medical license as a result, and “The Lancet” issued a full retraction.

Since then, there have not been any verified, peer-reviewed studies that support Wakefield’s assertions. Between 2002 and 2026, dozens of scientific studies on the MMR vaccine and autism, involving over 27 million children, have found no link between autism and the combined vaccine.

The largest study to date was conducted by the University of Washington in 2026. Over 2.5 million children nationwide were evaluated, and researchers concluded there was no association between receiving the MMR vaccine and autism.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) recommend the combination MMR vaccine. They prefer it over separating the vaccines because it eliminates the need for three separate injections and reduces delays in protecting against these potentially serious diseases.

“No new evidence justifies significant changes to childhood immunization guidance. Dozens of studies involving millions of people show there is no link between vaccines and autism. Yet, federal leaders continue to promote this outdated, disproven idea to scare families,” Dr. Andrew D. Racine, the president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said in a statement. “The only purpose of this announcement is to sow confusion so that more people doubt the importance of vaccines. Delaying or skipping shots is risky, especially as measles continues to spread and children go back to school.”

According to PBS News, the executive order is not legally binding, and experts are skeptical that it will result in meaningful change.

If you have questions about childhood vaccines and best practices for your family, it is encouraged that you seek information from your child’s doctor. For more information about immunization guidance, please visit:

• American Academy of Pediatrics at aap.org.

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists at acog.org.

• Academy of Family Physicians at aafp.org.

• Vaccine Integrity Project at vaxintegrity.cidrap.umn.edu.