WHO chief says Trump vaccine push goes against ‘decades of evidence’

What the report says

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has criticized US President Donald Trump’s move to reshape childhood vaccination policy, saying it conflicts with decades of scientific evidence. The comments, reported by Al Jazeera on Wednesday, came after Trump signed an executive order days earlier that seeks a review of school vaccine mandates and renewed discussion of splitting the combined measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, shot into separate doses.

The article says the dispute centers in part on Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has for years promoted a claim that the MMR vaccine is linked to autism despite the absence of medical evidence. Tedros said the science on vaccine safety is clear and urged that vaccination policy be based on independent, transparent review of the evidence rather than political pressure.

He also warned that delaying vaccines or separating doses without medical need can leave children less protected. Al Jazeera noted that Kennedy has since entering the administration pushed a broad review of vaccines, changed the childhood immunization schedule and reduced funding for new vaccine development.

The issue matters because MMR and other childhood vaccines are central to public health policy in the United States and internationally. More broadly, the exchange highlights continuing tensions between political leaders and global health officials over vaccine mandates, schedule changes and the public communication of vaccine science.