The head of the World Health Organization has pushed back against proposed changes to childhood vaccination policy in the United States, defending immunisation as one of the most effective tools available to protect children from preventable disease.
In a statement, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said vaccines remained “among the most powerful tools” parents had to keep their children safe.
His remarks came in response to an executive order from President Trump directing federal agencies to reduce the number of vaccines recommended for children.
Dr Tedros said the proposed changes were “not aligned with decades of evidence” on the optimal timing and dosing of childhood immunisations.
He added that scientific research had also established clear evidence on which vaccines could safely be administered together.
“The current evidence is unequivocal: vaccines — including the MMR vaccine — are safe [and] do not cause autism,” he said, warning that delaying vaccines or separating doses “can leave children unprotected.”
