Trump Administration Considers Separating MMR Vaccine, Raising Concerns About Public Health
WASHINGTON – A senior official with the Trump administration has publicly called for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to be separated into three individual shots, a move that public health experts warn could lead to decreased vaccination rates and increased outbreaks of preventable diseases.The proposal, surfacing during a recent meeting and amplified by former President Trump, has ignited debate over vaccine policy and the potential impact on public health.
The combined MMR vaccine has been safely and effectively administered for over half a century to millions of people. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a single MMR shot for children at 12-15 months of age, with a second dose administered before starting school. The proposed shift to monovalent vaccines – separate shots for each disease – would require a lengthy and complex process, including new clinical trials, reorientation of vaccine progress pipelines, and approval from the Food and Drug Administration, perhaps taking years to implement.
“This is not how policy is made,” said William Moss, director of the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University. “It is just shocking how far we have come from the very rigorous research policy decisions of the former ACIP.” He noted that conducting randomized controlled trials for diseases with effective vaccines would likely face ethical hurdles and financial disincentives for manufacturers.
The MMR vaccine is “extremely effective in preventing disease,” according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Researchers have consistently found the risks of side effects to be minimal. While a small increased risk of febrile seizures exists in children within 12 days of receiving the MMR vaccine, the CDC estimates this occurs in approximately one additional case per 3,000-4,000 vaccinations. The risk is slightly higher with the MMRV vaccine (which also includes varicella), prompting the CDC to recommend separate administration of the varicella vaccine for infants.
Experts fear that even without ultimately implementing the change, the rhetoric surrounding the proposal could erode public trust in vaccines.
“Whatever their intent is, the outcome is totally predictable. It’s lower vaccination rates, more disease and more kids dying from preventable illness,” Jake Scott, an infectious disease physician at Stanford University, previously told STAT.”Proposing to separate vaccines that can’t be separated, the only practical effect of that is to make parents question the current schedule.”
