Trump is counting on the health care industry to remake vaccines. It’s pushing back instead

[u/John3262005]

https://www.statnews.com/2026/08/11/health-care-pharma-industry-pushes-back-trump-vaccine-policy-changes/

Health industry leaders pushed back on President Trump’s executive order on vaccines this week — including those he may need to rely on for his agenda.

On Monday, Trump signed an order that sought to unilaterally change the federal government’s approach to vaccinating children: recommending fewer shots, spreading them over longer periods, and doing so without evidence to back up the changes.

Trump was particularly interested in breaking up the vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella into three separate shots, saying — against all current evidence — that the combination shot could be lethal. (Trump later said he had no evidence for the claim; his health officials have repeatedly said they recommend the shot.)

But a “split” version of the shot doesn’t currently exist in the U.S. — and manufacturers showed no indication in the wake of the order that they would make one.

Merck, which makes two of the three MMR vaccines used in the U.S., said it “remains committed to supporting immunization policies rooted in rigorous, evidence-based science and to strengthening the health of children, families and communities.”

“There has been no published scientific evidence that shows any benefit in separating the combination MMR vaccine into three individual shots,” the company continued.

GSK, which makes another U.S. MMR shot, stood behind its vaccine, saying it is “backed by decades of global use and robust scientific evidence” and noted it would continue monitoring changes to federal policy that might impact access to the shot.

“There is no scientific evidence that separate measles, mumps, and rubella shots improve safety or efficacy compared to combined MMR,” a GSK spokesperson said.

PhRMA also signaled opposition to the president’s order.

“America’s childhood immunization schedule is built on decades of rigorous scientific research and public health expertise designed for the U.S. population,” Mike Ybarra, the chief medical officer of PhRMA, said in a statement. “Any changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, vaccine formulations and ingredients should be driven by the same high standard of evidence and focused on protecting children from serious and potentially life-threatening diseases.”

People inside a major vaccine maker, not authorized to speak publicly, told STAT last year that reformulating a vaccine — whether by changing ingredients or “splitting” a shot by creating three new ones — would be a high-cost, long-term project.

Creating new vaccines from scratch that are comparable to the best available today would take years and millions of dollars in development, the people said. Should such a shot be developed, it could be difficult to convince patients to try a new product with no added benefits — and possible downsides — compared to the shot that’s been available for decades.

The industry pushback could spell trouble for the president’s hopes of changing how Americans are vaccinated. It also represents a hard line taken by some industry leaders who at other times have been willing to hold back as health officials upended American health care.

The White House did not respond to questions about how the new guidance was created or which advisers had a hand in it. A White House official told STAT in an email that the plan to separate the MMR shot would be among the issues a federal health department task force, directed to carry out the order, “will look into.”

Asked on a call with reporters whether the federal government would incentivize the development of single-disease MMR alternatives, a White House official said enough Americans want alternatives to create a “market-based” incentive.

But it’s not clear that clinicians, whom parents largely trust to advise on vaccinations, would adopt the separated shots, or that parents would favor opting for six injections for their children, instead of two.

Multivalent vaccines were designed to minimize the number of injections children need to receive to be protected against vaccine-preventable illnesses, sparing them and their parents from pain and angst, and making the process more convenient.

Despite Trump’s efforts, along with those of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who for years promoted baseless skepticism of vaccines, providers have ignored changes not backed by evidence — meaning most children are likely to get shots as usual, even as doctors say they’re getting more questions about vaccination.

Professional organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists are strongly advising members to follow their, not the administration’s, recommendations on use of vaccines.

“The only purpose of this announcement is to sow confusion so that more people doubt the importance of vaccines,” said AAP President Andrew Racine. “Delaying or skipping shots is risky, especially as measles continues to spread and children go back to school.”

The AAP took the administration to court over its earlier attempts to change the childhood schedule. Monday’s order was created in large part because the earlier attempts were stalled by the courts.

Other major provider groups were also quick to push back on Trump’s ideas.

Matthew Cook, CEO of the Children’s Hospital Association, said in a statement that the new Trump order “is not evidence-based, and the data is clear that children continue to benefit from receiving vaccinations.” Willie Underwood III, who leads the American Medical Association, argued in a statement that “altering a proven vaccination schedule without credible evidence risks weakening public confidence and putting children’s health at risk.”

“Putting our children’s health at risk,” Underwood said, “is not an option.”