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Trump is going against ‘decades of evidence’ with his bid to overhaul child vaccination, WHO chief warns
The World Health Organisation has publicly rebuked Donald Trump's efforts to overhaul US childhood vaccination policy, warning that his approach contradicts decades of scientific evidence. Trump signed an order on Monday calling for a review of school vaccine mandates and renewing calls to split the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab into three separate shots, an idea long championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who founded an anti-vaccine group and has repeatedly promoted a disproven link between MMR and autism. The dispute matters because it comes as the US battles its worst measles outbreak in 35 years, with children about to return to school, raising fears infections could spread further.
WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the science is "unequivocal" that vaccines, including MMR, are safe and do not cause autism, and insisted policy should be guided by rigorous, independent, transparent review rather than political influence. He warned that delaying or separating vaccine doses unnecessarily does not improve safety and can leave children unprotected. Kennedy has already launched a review of long-used vaccines, revised the child vaccination schedule and cut funding for new vaccine development, moves condemned by medical and scientific bodies and partly blocked earlier this year by US courts; Trump withdrew the US from the WHO on his first day back in office in 2025.
In short
- WHO says Trump's vaccine overhaul defies decades of scientific evidence
- Order targets school mandates, pushes splitting the MMR vaccine
- Comes amid US's worst measles outbreak in 35 years
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of vaccine policy reform contend that parental autonomy should take precedence in medical decisions for their children. They argue that centralised health mandates represent inappropriate government overreach, and that families are better positioned than distant authorities to make choices reflecting their own circumstances and values. They maintain that individuals should have flexibility in vaccine scheduling rather than following uniform, mandated protocols.
The case against
Medical authorities and public health experts argue that vaccination decisions must be grounded in decades of rigorous scientific evidence rather than individual preference alone. They contend that maintaining high vaccination rates is essential for protecting vulnerable populations, particularly infants and immunocompromised persons, and that in the context of active measles outbreaks, evidence-based policy must take precedence to prevent disease spread and safeguard public health.
Explained simply
The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps and rubella, and is commonly given to children as one combined jab. A false claim has linked the vaccine to autism; large studies have found no such link. Measles is highly contagious, and vaccination helps prevent outbreaks.
In the US, school vaccine requirements are set by state governments, while federal officials shape national health policy and advice. Donald Trump is president, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr is his health secretary. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus leads the World Health Organisation, which advises countries on health issues.