Significance of Vaccine Policy Shift Amid Measles Outbreak

TLDR

• Kennedy Jr. had already sought in January to remove vaccines against six of 17 diseases from the childhood schedule.
• The policy shift comes as the United States experiences its worst measles outbreak in 35 years and children prepare to return to school.
• On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking sweeping changes to the US’s childhood vaccine policy, including fewer recommended immunizations and more separate appointments for children to receive.
• The order says the federal government will support 11 core childhood vaccinations and advises states and territories to review vaccine requirements for school enrollment.
• The order calls for the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as MMR, to be separated into three single-disease shots.