Concerns over the safety of childhood vaccines have resurfaced in the United States after the World Health Organisation (WHO), criticised recent moves by President Donald Trump to review the country’s vaccination policy.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said the changes were not aligned with decades of scientific evidence, stressing that vaccines, including the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, are safe and do not cause autism.
His comments followed Trump’s order to review school vaccine mandates and reconsider administering the MMR vaccine as three separate shots.
Tedros urged governments to base vaccination policies on rigorous, independent scientific evidence rather than political influence. He also warned that delaying vaccines or unnecessarily separating doses could leave children unprotected.
The WHO warning comes as the US battles its worst measles outbreak in 35 years, with concerns that the return of children to school could accelerate the spread of infections.
