Trump Renews Call for Separate Vaccine Doses Citing Autism Link

Trump's comments followed RFK Jr.'s remarks positioning the administration as supportive of vaccine-hesitant parents. He referenced an executive order from the prior month that recommended fewer pediatric vaccines and separate measles, mumps, and rubella injections. No new data or regulatory filings accompanied the statements. Observational studies have tracked vaccination schedules and autism diagnoses without identifying causal links. The Danish nationwide cohort of 657,461 children published in Annals of Internal Medicine in 2019 found no increased risk after MMR vaccination compared with unvaccinated children. Large meta-analyses have reached the same conclusion across different populations and time periods. Separate dosing schedules would increase the total number of healthcare visits for infants without evidence of safety or efficacy gains. Public health agencies have not altered immunization recommendations in response to these statements. Implementation would require manufacturers to submit new formulations and conduct fresh trials under FDA oversight. States would then decide whether to update school-entry requirements.