The Trump administration is considering an executive order that would target vaccines and autism, potentially as early as next week. The move contradicts a scientific consensus that has found no link between the two.
According to Healthline, The Washington Post was the first to report on the potential order. A spokesperson who spoke anonymously to news outlets said the order was driven by President Trump's interest in further investigating the cause of autism. The scope and timing of the action have not been finalized and may still change.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai addressed the matter. "President Trump has been clear: America must have the best childhood vaccine schedule in the world," Desai said. He also told Healthline, "The Administration remains steadfastly committed to delivering on this presidential priority with Gold Standard Science for the countless parents whose questions and concerns about vaccinations have been ignored or mocked."
The White House did not confirm whether the executive order was in the works. HHS declined to comment.
In 2025, the Trump administration ordered the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to research the so-called autism-vaccine link, despite what researchers describe as robust evidence showing no such association. President Trump has also pressed senior health officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an outspoken critic of vaccination, to investigate vaccine safety.
An overwhelming majority of experts agree that vaccines do not cause autism. Scientists say autism originates in early brain development prior to birth and is influenced by various factors including genetics and environmental exposure. Any studies that have claimed to link vaccines to autism have been refuted by experts over flawed or insufficient data.
A large new study of more than 2.5 million U.S. children found no link between the timing of a first measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine before age 2 and a later autism diagnosis. Researchers continue to work to address misinformation about the potential causes of autism.
The expected executive order is reported to focus on autism research and the childhood vaccine schedule. No release date has been confirmed.