DENVER — President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week changing the nation's recommended vaccine schedule, reducing recommended childhood vaccines from 18 to 11, and calling for the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine to be separated into three individual shots instead of the current single, combined dose.
The order is creating confusion for parents across the country and in Colorado — particularly as families prepare for the new school year.
Denver7 reporter Adria Iraheta spoke to health experts about the order and the confusion it could create for Colorado parents in the video below:
Public health experts say the proposed changes are not backed by science and would create a logistical challenge that could increase the risk of children becoming infected with vaccine-preventable diseases before returning for a follow-up visit.
For parent Angie Anderson, the stakes are especially high. Her daughter, Mari Bolton, has Type 1 diabetes.
"If she gets sick, even with what you or I would think is kind of a benign virus, she could end up in the hospital, and in fact, she did last summer," Anderson said.
Anderson said the executive order has her worried about what comes next.
"I'm really concerned about all this right now," Anderson said. "As people are choosing to vaccinate with fewer immunizations, it opens the door to more and more disease to come in."
Colorado's requirements remain unchanged
Colorado health experts say nothing is changing at the state level. A new state law passed earlier this year allows Colorado to consider recommendations for childhood vaccines from other leading medical groups apart from those set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment confirmed to Denver7 that the executive order does not change Colorado's school and childcare vaccine requirements.
“CDPHE continues to recommend that families and healthcare providers follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ immunization schedule, which is grounded in decades of scientific evidence and safety monitoring. Colorado families may continue to seek medical or nonmedical exemptions from school-required vaccines. CDPHE will continue to base its vaccine recommendations on the best available science and ensure Coloradans have access to safe and effective disease-prevention tools.”
Denver Health is also holding firm on its guidance.
"At Denver Health, we continue to recommend vaccines for our patients, children and adults alike," Dr. Bob Belknap, chair of the Public Health Institute at Denver Health, said.
Belknap encouraged parents with questions or concerns to speak directly with their healthcare providers.
"We encourage them to ask us those questions, and we want the opportunity to have a conversation and hopefully answer whatever concerns or fears they may have," Belknap said.
Healthcare providers warn of growing confusion
Other healthcare providers in Colorado say they are worried about the confusion the executive order could cause — and about the broader erosion of public trust in health institutions.
"We are eroding the trust that people have on their public health system," Dr. Ricardo González Fisher of Servicios De La Raza said. "And if we start doing that, we have seen how sadly in the past two years the number of measles cases in the United States is rising because people have chosen not to vaccinate."
Anderson said she plans to keep speaking out.
"I will keep advocating, and I hope others will join me," Anderson said. "But ultimately, what I'm worried about is that it's going to take a really bad preventable disease outbreak and children suffering and dying before people will really wake up and realize how important immunization is for the community."
Trump's executive order is not law. States, not the federal government, hold authority over vaccine requirements for school-aged children. Trump has also said vaccine decisions will remain up to parents.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
