Trump signs executive order seeking to reduce recommended childhood vaccines

The move comes after a similar effort was blocked in court earlier this year.

(NBC)- President Donald Trump is wading back into the debate over childhood vaccines with a new executive order seeking to reduce the number of recommended vaccines from 18 to 11.

The move comes after a similar effort was blocked in court earlier this year.

Trump said parents would still have the option to give their children all 18 vaccines, describing the new guidelines as recommendations rather than requirements.

The order recommends that parents consult with doctors when deciding whether their children should receive vaccines for illnesses including RSV, COVID-19, influenza and hepatitis A and B.

It also calls for spreading vaccinations across more appointments and a longer period of time, including separating the combined measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine into three individual shots.

Trump suggested receiving the MMR vaccines together could be dangerous but acknowledged when questioned that he did not have evidence supporting that claim.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is no published scientific evidence supporting separating the MMR vaccine into individual shots.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also criticized the proposed changes, warning they could make it more difficult for children to receive recommended vaccinations.

Trump also pointed to rising autism diagnoses as a reason for the changes. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics said more than 40 large-scale studies involving over 5 million children across seven countries have found no link between vaccines and autism.

Legal experts say the executive order is likely to face challenges in court.