White House officials are mulling an executive order that would target vaccines and autism amid a push by President Donald Trump to take more action on the issue, an administration official familiar with the deliberations told CNN.
The potential order is expected to focus on the childhood vaccine schedule and autism research, though the scope and timing of the action have yet to be finalized and could still change.
In recent months, Trump has pressed senior officials, including US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to prioritize greater scrutiny of vaccines — even as many of his aides and political advisers fear that elevating the issue could damage Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Kennedy’s initial efforts last year to overhaul the government’s approach toward vaccines and recommend fewer shots for children prompted sharp blowback, angering the deep-pocketed pharmaceutical industry and alienating a swath of voters across bipartisan lines.
The repercussions eventually prompted Trump officials to urge Kennedy’s HHS to shift its focus toward more mainstream issues ahead of the administration’s midterm push, such as drug pricing and health insurance.
