NIH Chief Backs Trump Vaccine Cut to 11, Praises Measles Shot as Cases Hit 2,465
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 11
NIH Chief Backs Trump Vaccine Cut to 11, Praises Measles Shot as Cases Hit 2,465
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 11
Summary
Jay Bhattacharya, who also serves as acting CDC director, called measles vaccination “admirable” while defending Trump’s order cutting universally recommended childhood vaccines from 18 diseases to 11.
Trump’s Monday order shifts several shots into a parent-doctor choice category, seeks eventually to replace the combined MMR vaccine with three separate shots, and urges states to revisit school vaccine requirements.
Bhattacharya argued the overhaul would build trust by making the government a “partner” with parents, after Fox News asked how vaccinated children would be protected if others opt out.
The defense comes as CDC-confirmed U.S. measles cases reached 2,465 across 38 outbreaks by Aug. 7, already above 2025’s 2,289 cases; medical experts say the combined MMR shot is safe and splitting it could prolong vulnerability.