Trump vaccine executive order slashes child shots from 18 to 11 – what it means

President Donald Trump signed a controversial Trump vaccine executive order on Monday, slashing the recommended pediatric schedule from 18 shots to 11, and spreading doses over additional visits.

Impact of the Trump vaccine executive order on child health

The move, unbacked by scientific data, leans on debunked myths about autism and immune overload. Health experts warned that the reduction ↓ 7 vaccines could erode herd immunity.

“Pediatricians have a vaccination that looks like the size of a soda bottle, poured into a child’s body, and bad things happen in too many cases. This is an explosion; this is an epidemic,” Trump said.

During the White House signing, the president repeated the claim, prompting immediate rebuttal from the Reuters health desk and AP News, which cited CDC guidance that no new evidence supports the changes.

Critics label the decree as political grandstanding, noting the absence of peer‑reviewed research and the potential risk to public health.