Trump Executive Order Calls for Splitting MMR Vaccine Into Three Separate Shots; Experts and Manufacturers Say There Is No Scientific Basis
President Trump signed an executive order directing that the MMR combination vaccine — which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella — be administered as three separate single-disease shots, with all childhood immunizations given at separate medical visits. The CDC states on its website that no published scientific evidence shows any benefit in separating the combination MMR vaccine. Merck, which makes two of the three currently licensed MMR vaccines used in the US, said that reformulating into single-antigen shots "could take years — potentially as many as 10" to meet FDA approval requirements.
Single source · Not corroborated
President Trump signed an executive order this week instructing the Department of Health and Human Services to present, within 90 days, a plan for offering childhood vaccines beginning with MMR as individual doses. The MMR combination vaccine has been used in the United States for more than 50 years, and Merck stopped supplying single-component measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines in the US in 2008, citing the combination shot's preference for eliminating separate injections and reducing delays in protection.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said splitting up shots is "inconvenient" but would "have a huge impact on autism." He held up a graphic — described by CNN as created by groups that oppose vaccine mandates — and said the volume of fluid in combination vaccines was dangerous, describing it as "the size of a bottle of soda." The standard MMR dose given to children around 12 months is 0.5 milliliters, approximately one-tenth of a teaspoon, according to CNN's reporting.
Immunologists and vaccine manufacturers offered consistent assessments of the proposal. Dr. Walter Orenstein, professor emeritus at Emory University, said splitting the vaccine "would likely lead to decreases in coverage" because additional required visits create opportunities for families to miss doses. Dr. Stanley Plotkin, a vaccine developer and emeritus professor at the University of Philadelphia and author of a widely used medical reference on vaccines, said the recommendations are "unscientific" and "will result in more disease in this country." GSK, which makes another licensed MMR formulation, said its vaccines are "clinically proven to provide vital protection" and that combination formats "minimize the burden on families and healthcare systems."