Statement by @mtosterholm @CIDRAP today in response to the White House Executive Order on childhood vaccines FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 10, 2026 Statement from Dr. Michael Osterholm, Executive Director, Vaccine Integrity Project, In Response to Today’s White House Executive Order on Vaccines Parents should continue to rely on the evidence-based immunization recommendations developed by trusted medical and public health experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. Today's Executive Order does not change the underlying scientific evidence supporting childhood immunization. That data has been built over decades - through large clinical trials, real-world effectiveness studies and continuous safety monitoring involving millions of children. Parents deserve clear, evidence-based guidance about how to protect their children, not competing recommendations issued through political processes. When families receive conflicting messages, confidence in vaccination suffers, and children ultimately bear the consequences. Today's Executive Order does not substitute the longstanding process through which vaccine recommendations have historically been developed - an independent, transparent evaluation of safety, effectiveness and disease burden by scientific experts. We encourage parents to discuss questions about vaccination with their pediatrician or other trusted healthcare provider and to continue following the evidence-based recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and other leading medical societies.