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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Health & Science

WHO says Trump vaccine shake-up goes against evidence

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency New plan
  • The World Health Organization warned that U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed changes to child vaccination policies contradict established scientific evidence.
  • Trump signed an executive order advocating for a review of school vaccine mandates and the separation of the MMR vaccine into individual shots.
  • The WHO emphasized that vaccine policy should be driven by science, not politics, and expressed concern over the potential for increased child vulnerability to diseases like measles.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a strong warning against U.S. President Donald Trump's initiative to overhaul child vaccination policies, stating that the proposed changes go against "decades of evidence." Trump signed an executive order on Monday calling for a re-evaluation of school vaccine mandates and reiterating his previous calls to separate the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three distinct shots.

Vaccination policy should be guided by rigorous, independent and transparent review of the best available science, not by political influence.

— Tedros GhebreyesusWarning against political influence on vaccination policy.

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus directly addressed the issue, stating unequivocally that "vaccines, including the MMR vaccine, are safe and do not cause autism." He stressed that vaccination policies must be guided by "rigorous, independent and transparent review of the best available science, not by political influence." The WHO expressed concern that the recent shifts in U.S. immunization policy are not aligned with the extensive scientific evidence accumulated over many years.

We are concerned that recent changes to US immunisation policy are not aligned with decades of evidence.

— Tedros GhebreyesusExpressing WHO's concern over the U.S. administration's vaccination policy changes.

Tedros further cautioned that delaying vaccinations or unnecessarily separating doses does not enhance safety and could leave children unprotected against preventable diseases. This warning comes as the United States is experiencing its most severe measles outbreak in 35 years, with the upcoming return to school expected to exacerbate the spread of infections.

Delaying vaccines or separating doses unnecessarily does not make vaccination safer and can leave children unprotected.

— Tedros GhebreyesusHighlighting the risks associated with altering standard vaccination schedules.

Trump's Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who founded an anti-vaccine group, has long promoted a disproven link between the MMR shot and autism. Despite scientific consensus refuting any such connection, Kennedy has initiated a review of vaccines and altered the child vaccination schedule. These measures have drawn strong condemnation from the medical and scientific communities. The WHO chief reassured parents that vaccines remain "among the most powerful tools" for safeguarding children's health.

Vaccines are among the most powerful tools to keep children safe, making deadly diseases preventable.

— Tedros GhebreyesusReassuring parents about the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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