Under the authority conferred upon me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, the following order is issued:
Section 1. Purpose and Policy. Following the Presidential Memorandum dated December 5, 2025, titled “Aligning United States Core Childhood Vaccine Recommendations with Best Practices from Peer, Developed Countries,” the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has completed a scientific evaluation. This assessment confirmed a set of vaccines commonly recommended in peer nations and noted that the United States advocates for more childhood vaccines than any other peer nation, sometimes recommending over twice as many doses compared to certain European countries. The evaluation also highlighted that while peer nations achieve high vaccination rates through public trust and education without mandates, in the U.S., individual states impose mandatory vaccination requirements for school attendance.
Executive Order 14407, issued on May 29, 2026, aimed to realign U.S. childhood vaccine recommendations with best practices from peer nations, ensuring that Americans receive the most scientifically sound medical guidance while protecting religious freedom and parental rights. Despite this, the implementation of these directives has been stalled due to legal challenges concerning the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and updates to the federal vaccine schedule. Consequently, further measures are being taken to reaffirm U.S. policy to align core childhood vaccine recommendations with scientific evidence and peer best practices, maintaining access to currently available vaccines. Additionally, it is the policy of the Administration that federal programs and funding should support maximum parental choice regarding childhood vaccines, in accordance with constitutional and statutory commitments to personal autonomy and informed consent.
Sec. 2. Recommendations for Childhood and Adolescent Vaccines. (a) After consulting with advisors and reviewing scientific evidence, it is declared that the United States will adopt Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations informed by three categories of childhood immunization recommendations identified in the scientific assessment:
(i) Immunizations advised for all children include measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus, and varicella;
(ii) Immunizations advised for certain high-risk groups or populations include respiratory syncytial virus monoclonal antibodies, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal B, meningococcal ACWY, and dengue;
(iii) Immunizations based on shared clinical decision-making include hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, meningococcal disease, influenza, and COVID-19.
(b) The Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations also propose that the MMR vaccine should be given as three separate shots once these become available domestically, and to the extent possible, all childhood immunizations should be administered in separate medical visits.
(c) Each executive department and agency must review the Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations and take steps to promote them as much as legally possible.
(d) States and territories are encouraged to review these recommendations and consider updating relevant laws and regulations regarding immunization requirements for school enrollment and attendance based on the scientific assessment and peer best practices.
(e) The United States will regularly reassess the Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations in line with findings from the HHS Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines as outlined in section 3 of this order.
Sec. 3. Improving Vaccine Research and Options for American Parents. The Secretary of HHS, through the HHS Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines, must present plans to the President within 90 days from the date of this order, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, to:
(a) Provide options to administer core childhood vaccines, starting with MMR, as single vaccines instead of combination doses, in collaboration with the private sector and other countries, while ensuring the continued availability of combination vaccines and those recommended for shared clinical decision-making;
(b) Evaluate the ideal timing and sequencing of core childhood vaccines and adjust the federal vaccine schedule as needed based on gold-standard science;
(c) Develop alternative adjuvants to aluminum and conduct safety and efficacy comparisons;
(d) Continuously evaluate the risk/benefit profiles of all childhood vaccines using U.S. and international data; and
(e) Enhance vaccine safety monitoring, transparency, and research.
Sec. 4. Maximizing Parental Choice over Childhood Vaccines. (a) The Attorney General shall take steps to further legitimate legal actions challenging state laws that conflict with states’ constitutional and federal statutory obligations concerning parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations, and equal protection, including states’ obligations to provide religious and medical exemptions from childhood and adolescent immunization requirements.
(b) The Departments of Justice, Education, and HHS shall ensure that their contractors and grantees, including states and localities, comply with constitutional and federal statutory obligations related to parental authority, religious freedom, disability accommodations, and equal protection, including providing religious and medical exemptions as applicable under federal law.
Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be interpreted to affect:
(i) The authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or its head; or
(ii) The functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget concerning budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented in accordance with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, entities, officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The Department of Health and Human Services shall bear the costs for publishing this order.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
August 10, 2026.
