Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana lashed out at President Donald Trump on Monday after the president signed an executive order changing federal policy on childhood vaccines.
Cassidy, a licensed physician who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, took particular issue with Trump’s move to split the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine across separate visits.
Watch the clip below:
BREAKING: President Trump moves to reshape childhood vaccine recommendations, centered around one major change: Split up the MMR shot.
Trump says his administration is recognizing 11 “core” childhood vaccinations, while calling for measles, mumps and rubella vaccines to be… pic.twitter.com/TnxLZ4PDYR
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 10, 2026
“I’m a doctor. This executive order is wrong,” he wrote on the X platform. “The President does not have the expertise to make these changes.”
“Vaccines are overwhelmingly safe. Vaccines are effective. Vaccines DO NOT cause autism.”
“Breaking up vaccines will mean children have to get more shots to get the same protection, not fewer shots. It will increase hesitancy and make children less safe.”
I’m a doctor. This executive order is wrong. The President does not have the expertise to make these changes.
Vaccines are overwhelmingly safe. Vaccines are effective. Vaccines DO NOT cause autism.
Breaking up vaccines will mean children have to get more shots to get the same… https://t.co/9RoPfVsU8h
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) August 10, 2026
Trump’s executive order comes as his administration, alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., moves to overhaul federal childhood vaccine policy.
An earlier HHS effort in January to reduce the number of recommended childhood vaccines was blocked by a federal judge in March.
Trump has repeatedly questioned the dramatic expansion of the childhood vaccination schedule and has raised concerns about a possible connection between vaccines and rising autism diagnoses.
Cassidy rejected Trump’s approach outright and urged parents to disregard the president’s directives.
“Parents should listen to their child’s pediatrician about vaccines rather than listening to an inaccurate executive order,” Cassidy wrote. “This is so wrong.”
The Louisiana Republican, who previously voted to impeach Trump in the wake of January 6th and lost his primary back in May, has repeatedly picked fights with the current administration.
Cassidy clashed with CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz during her confirmation hearings, although ultimately voted to confirm her nomination.
He has also attacked changes made under Kennedy to the CDC’s discussion of vaccines and autism.
Ad block users: Some site features may not work correctly while an ad blocker is enabled, because they break scripts and content this website depends on. If you can’t see comments below, for example, please disable your ad blocker.