Trump Order Recasts 18 Childhood Vaccines Into 3 Tiers as Chicago Doctors Warn of Lower School Immunity
Updated
Updated · Chicago Tribune · Aug 20
Trump Order Recasts 18 Childhood Vaccines Into 3 Tiers as Chicago Doctors Warn of Lower School Immunity
3 articles · Updated · Chicago Tribune · Aug 20
Summary
Days before Chicago schools reopen, pediatric experts say the administration’s Aug. 10 order has left parents weighing long-standing medical advice against federal claims that routine shots are unsafe.
The order sorts vaccines into three tiers and pushes splitting the MMR shot into 3 separate visits, a change doctors say lacks scientific backing and could take years because single-antigen versions are unavailable.
For families with fragile access to care, more appointments raise the odds of missed doses for diseases including meningococcal infection and hepatitis B, turning routine setbacks into gaps in school-entry protection.
Chicago’s student vaccination rate is only slightly above the 95% herd-immunity threshold, with Washington Park at 87.1% and Fuller Park at 88.2%, while noncompliance in CPS has nearly doubled to 12.2% since 2015.
The warnings come as a U.S. measles outbreak threatens elimination status and states including Michigan say they will keep existing vaccine guidance aligned with pediatric groups.