WHO chief warns US childhood vaccine policy changes ‘not aligned with best science’

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief expressed concern Wednesday about recent changes to childhood vaccination policy in the US, warning that they are "not aligned" with the best available scientific evidence.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a media briefing in Geneva that decades of research have established when children are most vulnerable to disease, when vaccines provide the strongest protection, how doses should be administered, and which vaccines can safely be given together.

“WHO is concerned that the changes to immunization policy in the US are not aligned with the best science,” said Tedros.

He stressed that available evidence remains clear on the safety of vaccines, including the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

“The current evidence is unequivocal: vaccines – including the MMR vaccine – are safe and do not cause autism,” he said.

Tedros also warned that delaying vaccinations or unnecessarily separating doses does not make immunization safer and can instead leave children unprotected against preventable diseases.

He said vaccination policy should be based on "rigorous, independent and transparent" assessment of scientific evidence as new data emerge, and "not by political influence."

US President Donald Trump issued an order Monday, establishing new “Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations,” saying the policy aims to support "maximum parental choice" over childhood vaccines.

The order divides childhood immunizations into three groups: those recommended for all children, those advised for certain high-risk groups, and those based on shared clinical decision-making.

It also calls for the MMR vaccine to be given as three separate shots once single-disease vaccines become available in the US, and says childhood vaccines should, where feasible, be administered at separate medical visits.