Trump orders changes to US childhood vaccination guidelines

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at overhauling federal childhood vaccination recommendations in the United States. Under the directive, the administration reduces universally recommended shots to focus on 11 diseases, removing general endorsements for vaccines protecting against hepatitis B, COVID-19, and influenza.

Additionally, the order calls for splitting combined immunizations, such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, into individual shots administered across separate doctor visits. During the announcement, Trump argued that in past decades "people were much healthier" when fewer immunizations were administered.

The immediate impact of the executive order remains unclear. Individual US states set mandatory immunization requirements for school entry, and prior attempts to modify federal vaccine guidelines encountered legal challenges in federal court.

Sources: BBC News, Die Zeit, ORF, The Guardian.