President Trump has reportedly been urging Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to pursue more aggressive reductions to the U.S. vaccination schedule, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal. The exchanges reportedly occurred at Trump’s northern Virginia golf course in May, where Trump suggested Kennedy was not moving quickly enough on vaccine changes. Trump has expressed interest in making “alleviating autism” a component of his presidential legacy, according to the Journal’s reporting.
Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, previously reduced the routine childhood immunization schedule by approximately one-third, cutting recommended vaccines from 17 to 11. A federal judge subsequently halted these changes in March following a lawsuit by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the White House subsequently placed vaccine-related initiatives on hold. The Trump administration is currently appealing the judge’s stay on the vaccine changes.
Polling data has indicated vaccine-skeptical positions face electoral headwinds. Pollster Tony Fabrizio found that anti-vaccine moves were unpopular in key districts, concluding in a December memo that “skepticism toward vaccine requirements is politically risky for both parties.” Despite these poll results, Trump issued an executive order in May directing HHS to modify vaccine recommendations.
Medical experts and researchers have emphasized the scientific consensus on vaccines. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, noted that decades of research point to genetics as the primary cause of autism, with dozens of studies showing no link between vaccines and the condition. Measles cases have risen to their highest rate in 30 years, according to Offit.
White House and HHS representatives did not dispute reporting on Trump’s pressure regarding vaccines but emphasized concerns from parents of autistic children. They stated the administration remained “committed to leaving no stone unturned” to address those concerns and would “continue to pursue evidence-based research to identify the root causes of autism and other chronic diseases.”
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