Trump's Push to Split MMR Revives Debate
President Donald Trump last week suggested separating combination childhood vaccines such as the measles‑mumps‑rubella (MMR) shot into individual doses, prompting immediate pushback from public‑health experts who warned the move would undermine decades of immunization practice, decrease coverage, and require new FDA approvals because measles‑only vaccines are not currently available in the U.S. Leading vaccine scientists (Dr. William Moss, Dr. Peter Hotez, Dr. Howard Markel and Dr. Walt Orenstein) said splitting MMR would create access barriers, increase clinic visits and risk outbreaks of measles and rubella.
Health
Politics
🔍 Key Facts
- President Trump suggested splitting combination childhood vaccines (MMR) in a comment reported last week.
- Experts including Dr. William Moss and Dr. Peter Hotez publicly criticized the idea, citing Andrew Wakefield’s discredited 1998 claims and warning of reduced vaccine coverage.
- Measles‑only (monovalent) vaccines 'do not exist in the U.S.' and would require new clinical trials, manufacturer investment and FDA approval before being available.