As the United States experiences its largest measles outbreak in decades, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would require federal agencies to reduce the number of vaccines recommended for all children.
While an executive order cannot rewrite law, it can tell federal agencies how to implement a statute.
However, national and local medical organizations, including the Greene County Medical Society, are pushing back against the new recommendations.
Dr. Kayce Morton is a pediatric hospitalist and president-elect of the Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics who spoke with the News-Leader about the executive order.
Executive order strays from medical association recommendations
The Aug. 10 executive order outlines the "Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations," which divides
immunizations into three categories — recommended for all children, recommended for certain high-risk groups and ones to be administered "based on shared decision making." It reduced the number of vaccines recommended for all children from 18 to 11.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to continue following the current childhood vaccination schedule, which is endorsed by numerous medical and health organizations including the American Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Association of Family Physicians. The Greene County Medical Society is among those advising parents to follow the AAP recommendations.
"There's so many different entities behind this and when you have so many medical societies in agreement but you have the government saying something different, that's a huge red flag," Morton said. She is also a member of the GCMS.
Morton is concerned that the executive order's recommendations will cause more harm than good.
"I feel like it's going to inject some more uncertainty and confusion about the recommendations that physicians are making on vaccines when there doesn't need to be any. There aren't any new studies, there's no new evidence that supports that executive order," Morton said. "It's not going to support families and their decision-making skills because it's now, it's like after COVID where there was so much confusion and so many different lines of stories."
The executive order also cites a January 2026 assessment comparing U.S. childhood immunization recommendations with peer nations. It says the scientific assessment found the "United States currently recommends more childhood vaccines than any peer nation, including more than twice as many vaccine doses as some European nations."
However, while the U.S. does vaccinate against more illnesses than other peer countries, most high-income countries vaccinate against a dozen to 15 illnesses by age 5, according to a Dec. 2025 review from the Vaccine Integrity Project, The review also noted that the U.S.'s recommendations are based on circumstances here, which differ from those in European countries.
Spreading out vaccines not backed by science
The order says the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine should be administered as three separate single-disease shots, and that "all childhood immunizations be administered at separate medical visits." The order wants to assess "the ideal timing and sequencing of all core childhood vaccines" and adjust the schedule based on "gold-standard science."
However, current medical research does not support this idea, Morton said, and in fact shows that it could put children and families at risk.
"It's notable that during some of those studies when they did have separation of the vaccines from each other, it was actually looked at as a risk for decreasing their sensitivity for it, so they're susceptible longer. When you actually have a patient that gets all the vaccines (on AAP's timetable), that protects them faster and earlier," Morton said.
Another point that the executive order raises is the idea of parental choice — something that has always existed when it comes to childhood vaccinations, Morton said.
"We've always done (shared family decision-making) in pediatrics with our kids and our families, discussing what the risks and benefits are of vaccines and why we recommend them and how it keeps us safe," she said, "so that's not anything that's been changed within our medical practices."
Morton has worked in both in-patient and out-patient settings and was previously the director of pediatrics for Jordan Valley Community Health Center. When working with people who have concerns or reservations about vaccination, she approaches them with curiosity and compassion, which is imperative in building trust with families and patients.
"I know, personally, as a parent that we just want to do what's best for our kids and all that information out there can be scary. We listen to our friends and we listen to Facebook and we hear TikTok, " Morton said. "What is the actual concern and how can we address that concern at this time? ... Once you build the relationship and trust with those families and they understand the risks they are putting their children at — they can't take those (risks) back once they're exposed to those illnesses, right? — then, typically, we can build that relationship to build their trust in the medicine, as well."
Susan Szuch writes about health as well as local food and drink for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X at @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: National, Ozarks groups push back against new vaccine recommendations
