President Donald Trump has signed an executive order, proposing a reduction in the number of childhood vaccinations from 18 to 11, as well as recommending that the mumps, measles, and rubella (MMR) shots be administered separately. This move comes amidst growing concerns about vaccine safety and autism rates. The administration claims this change is based on a return to "gold standard" childhood vaccination recommendations for only 11 core immunizations against the most serious diseases. The proposed vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus, and varicella or chickenpox. Critics, however, argue that this order is both disheartening and dangerous, as it comes at a time when measles cases in the U.S. have reached a 35-year high, with global cases also on the rise. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has pointed out that there is no scientific evidence to support the benefits of separating MMR vaccines into three individual shots. Experts fear that this policy could lead to a resurgence of preventable diseases if parents refrain from getting their children vaccinated due to unfounded concerns about vaccine-autism links. The federal government does not have the authority to implement these new recommendations, as school vaccination requirements are set at the state level. While Trump's intentions may be to provide more parental choice, health professionals urge parents to consult with their child's pediatrician regarding vaccinations rather than following an executive order that some deem misleading and not based on "gold-standard science".