- The WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Wednesday that Trump's push ignores decades of evidence, stating vaccines are safe and do not cause autism.
- Trump signed an order calling for a rethink of school vaccine mandates and renewed calls to split the MMR vaccine into three separate doses.
- Tedros said the science is unequivocal and that vaccines including the MMR vaccine are safe and do not cause autism.
- The WHO chief warned that delaying vaccines or separating doses unnecessarily does not make vaccination safer and can leave children unprotected.
- Since joining the Trump administration, Kennedy has launched a sweeping review of longstanding vaccines, rewritten the childhood immunisation schedule, and slashed funding for new vaccine development.
- Tedros wrote on X that 'vaccination policy should be guided by rigorous, independent and transparent review of the best available science, not by political influence' and that 'that evidence is reviewed continuously as new data emerge from across the globe.'
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has strongly criticized President Donald Trump for his recent push to alter US childhood vaccination policies, which he claims ignores 'decades of evidence' supporting the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
Tedros's warning follows Trump's signing of an order that calls for a reassessment of school vaccine mandates and advocates for splitting the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three separate doses.
In a post on X, Tedros stated, 'Vaccination policy should be guided by rigorous, independent and transparent review of the best available science, not by political influence.' He emphasized that the scientific consensus is 'unequivocal'—vaccines, including the MMR, are safe and do not cause autism.
Furthermore, he cautioned that 'delaying vaccines or separating doses unnecessarily does not make vaccination safer and can leave children unprotected.' This statement underscores the potential risks associated with altering established vaccination schedules.
Since joining the Trump administration, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has initiated a comprehensive review of longstanding vaccines, revised the childhood immunization schedule, and reduced funding for new vaccine development, raising concerns among public health experts about the implications for child health and safety.
“Tedros wrote on X that vaccination policy should be guided by rigorous, independent science, not political influence. He also warned that delaying vaccines or separating doses unnecessarily does not make vaccination safer and can leave children unprotected.”
