WHO defends childhood immunization schedules after Trump reduction order

The World Health Organization (WHO) defended its childhood immunization guidance after the Trump administration moved to reduce the number of recommended vaccines in the U.S. President Trump signed an executive order Monday cutting recommendations from 17 to 11. Under the change, vaccines protecting against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and hepatitis B would be recommended only for “high risk” children, while rotavirus would fall under a “shared clinical decision” between parents and physicians. WHO spokesperson Tarik Jašarević said the agency’s timing recommendations are based on research worldwide on immune development and disease susceptibility. U.S. medical groups criticized the order, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Dr. Ashish Jha called a proposal to split MMR into three shots a “terrible idea.”