Jump to contentAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleSecretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (R) speaks before President Donald Trump signs an executive order calling for more research and flexibility on vaccines (AFP/Getty)President Donald Trump signed an executive order scaling back the federal childhood vaccination schedule from 17 to 11 shots due to frustration over the pace of research into alleged autism links.The executive order calls for unbundling the combined MMR vaccine into separate doses and instructs the Justice Department to challenge state-level school vaccine mandates.Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is overseeing agency studies into potential vaccine dangers, though scientific consensus consistently shows no link between vaccines and autism.Leading medical associations warned that the directive will sow confusion, heighten vaccine hesitancy, and leave more children vulnerable to preventable diseases.Administration officials noted that the executive order does not fundamentally transform immunization policy on its own, with long-term changes dependent on ongoing agency reviews.More bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Kennedy asks for feedback on new vaccine recommendation categories, how shots are tested.

Trump's frustration that his administration was not doing enough to address what he considers a likely contributor to autism drove a U.S. executive order this month