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PHOENIX (AZFamily) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to reduce and space out the federally recommended childhood vaccine schedule. But local health experts say parents should not expect to see any changes, at least not anytime soon.
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What the order calls for
The order recommends 11 vaccines for all children, down from the current 18. It also calls for spacing out the MMR vaccine across three separate doctor visits and includes hepatitis B, which is currently given to newborns at birth.
“We’re changing it to visits over a period of a year, year and a half, so they get 20% of what they would have gotten in one big shot,” Trump said.
The president said the move comes in response to a recent rise in autism.
Local experts call the claims baseless
That reasoning drew a direct rebuttal from local health expert Will Humble, who said the science does not support the link between vaccines and autism.
“There is no correlation between vaccines and autism. It’s among the most studied things globally, not just in the US,” Humble said.
Why the order may not change much
Vaccine recommendations in the United States are made by a committee of experts who advise the CDC and are then adopted by the agency’s director. Critically, only states, not the federal government, can require vaccinations for children to enter school or day care.
Humble said that distinction matters when it comes to insurance coverage as well.
“Congress has hardwired those recommendations into what’s required to be covered by health insurance. So, like, the executive order, it’s aspirational what they want to do, but it will not change reimbursement,” Humble said.
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Families could face higher costs if order takes effect
If the order is ultimately implemented, Humble warned that vaccination rates could fall as families are forced to pay out of pocket for additional doctor visits.
“The vaccination rates would plummet because parents would have to pay cash for some of these vaccines. Some of them are really cheap, like MMR. Some of them are like meningococcals, a couple hundred bucks. So you’re going to see vaccine rates really plummet,” Humble said.
A court order already stands in the way
The path forward for the administration is not straightforward. In March, a judge blocked a prior federal attempt to cut the number of vaccinations, and this executive order cannot override that injunction.
To proceed, the administration must either successfully appeal that ruling to a higher court or issue a new executive order with a different legal basis, which would likely face its own legal challenges.
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