Login
White House officials are drafting an executive order that will address the childhood vaccine schedule and autism, according to unnamed sources who spoke with The Washington Post.
The order will reportedly focus on the schedule, autism research and parental choice. However, the timing and details of the order are unclear and subject to change, the unnamed sources said.
The executive order could be released as early as next week, the sources said.
Bloomberg cited sources who said the move to issue an executive order is driven by President Donald Trump’s desire to see “additional action” taken on vaccines and that the order may include research initiatives.
The White House did not confirm or deny whether it is planning an executive order.
In a statement provided to The Defender, White House spokesman Kush Desai said:
“President Trump has been clear: America must have the best childhood vaccine schedule in the world. The Administration remains steadfastly committed to delivering on this presidential priority with Gold Standard Science for the countless parents whose questions and concerns about vaccinations have been ignored or mocked.”
Last month, anonymous sources told The Wall Street Journal that the president has been pushing U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to do more to investigate a possible link between vaccines and autism.
Kennedy was reportedly taken aback, given that White House advisers had asked him to tone down his work around vaccine safety in advance of the midterm elections, the WSJ said.
Trump also reportedly told Kennedy he wanted him to do more to reduce the number of childhood vaccine recommendations, and that he wants to see autism rates go down, the WSJ said.
In an interview with investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson in May, Trump said, “I believe in vaccines, but I don’t believe that, you know, you have to have a mandate for all of them,” CNN reported.
“I really feel that vaccines, if they were given in smaller quantities — they want to cut some out, and that’s good, too. I agree with that,” he said.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Changes to vaccine recommendations a political hot potato for Trump admin?
Controversy around vaccine recommendations has plagued the Trump administration since Kennedy took the helm at HHS.
In June 2025, in what he called “a major step in restoring public trust in vaccines,” Kennedy dismissed all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine advisory committee, citing conflicts of interest related to their Big Pharma ties.
Two days later, Kennedy appointed his initial slate of eight new members to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). In August 2025, he ended participation by major medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Medical Association and others in ACIP’s work groups, again citing conflicts of interest.
The new ACIP committee made several changes to the vaccine schedule, which reduced the number of diseases for which children would receive recommended routine vaccinations from 17 to 11.
The changes included moving shots for RSV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and meningococcal vaccines into high-risk or shared clinical-decision-making categories.
The committee also recommended that thimerosal be eliminated from flu vaccines for children.
The changes prompted some states to part ways with the CDC and establish their own vaccine schedules, aligned with the CDC’s previous recommendations, not the newer changes made under the Trump administration.
The AAP and other medical organizations sued Kennedy and HHS over the vaccine policy changes they allege were made unlawfully.
In March 2026, as part of that lawsuit, a federal judge blocked the schedule changes made by ACIP, and stayed the appointments of the new ACIP members appointed between June 2025 and January 2026.
HHS appealed the ruling, but the stay remains in effect. ACIP has not held a meeting since December 2025.
This article was funded by critical thinkers like you.
The Defender is 100% reader-supported. No corporate sponsors. No paywalls. Our writers and editors rely on you to fund stories like this that mainstream media won’t write.
Trump previously ordered CDC to align schedule with those of peer nations
In May 2026, the administration issued an executive order directing public health agencies to align the childhood schedule with those of peer nations, which typically recommend fewer vaccines than the U.S.
However, the recommended childhood vaccine schedule remains the July 2025 version, which it reverted to after the stay was issued.
Kennedy and HHS updated ACIP’s charter in June, expanding membership criteria to achieve a “balanced range of scientific, clinical, and public health expertise relevant to the Committee’s mission,” a broader umbrella than the previous charter.
In April 2025, RFK Jr. also announced a “massive testing and research effort” to determine what causes autism. The National Institutes of Health said it was launching the autism research program.
Previously, in March 2025, the CDC confirmed it planned to study the possible link between vaccines and autism.
HHS reportedly sought access to state medical records in June to investigate the causes of the autism epidemic.
Related articles in The Defender
- RFK Jr. Overhauls ACIP Rules to Focus More on Vaccine Injuries
- Exclusive: ‘Unqualified’ Judge to Blame for ‘Highly Politicized’ Ruling Against RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Advisers
- RFK Jr.’s ‘Clean Sweep’ of CDC Vaccine Advisers Draws Mix of High Praise, Harsh Criticism
- AAP, AMA Booted From CDC Vaccine Advisory Working Groups
- Breaking: Federal Court Blocks ACIP Meeting, Changes to Childhood Vaccine Schedule
- Trump Signs Executive Order Backing HHS on Childhood Vaccine Reform — Will It Matter?
