President Trump has signed an executive order drastically reducing the number of vaccines recommended for children from 18 to 11. This move, not based in evidence but fearmongering, aims to split and space out vaccine schedules over more visits. The order cites debunked claims about vaccines causing autism or overwhelming children’s immune systems.

During a signing event at the White House, Trump falsely claimed that vaccines are harmful, likening them to soda bottles poured into children's bodies and likening this to an epidemic of bad outcomes. He tied these changes to his goal of researching autism rates in America, despite numerous studies showing no link between vaccines and autism.

The new recommendations see the US becoming one of the few countries recommending only 11 vaccines for children, compared to many high-income nations that recommend more vaccinations. Stat News fact-checked this claim earlier this year, revealing that the US is now an outlier in its minimal vaccine schedule alongside Denmark, a small and homogeneous country with universal healthcare.

While Trump suggests these changes will reduce autism rates, numerous studies have already debunked any such link. This executive order has sparked concerns about public health and the integrity of scientific evidence.