Maine’s childhood vaccine guidance won’t change due to Trump’s executive order
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Tuesday that the state’s guidelines on childhood vaccines will remain the same despite the executive order President Donald Trump signed Monday that changed federal guidance.
Gov. Janet Mills and numerous state health leaders also issued statements on Tuesday disapproving of the executive order.
The order advocates separating the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three different single-disease shots, which is not currently an option in the United States, and administering all childhood immunizations at separate appointments whenever possible. It also directs the nation’s health department to improve research on vaccines, which are already extensively studied.
Public health experts have raised concerns that spacing out shots as Trump suggests can lead to an increased risk that children become infected with a vaccine-preventable disease before returning for another visit.
The Maine CDC said on Tuesday that it will continue to follow the guidance of the American Academy of Pediatrics for its childhood vaccine recommendations.
The AAP responded to the executive order on Monday, issuing a statement that said its guidelines “are based on decades of research and systematic tracking of real-world experiences.”
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“Pediatricians recommend children receive certain vaccines at specific ages based on when children’s immune systems will respond best and when they are most vulnerable to certain diseases,” the AAP stated. “Sometimes this means children will receive a single shot that protects against multiple diseases, or they may receive multiple vaccines at one visit.”
Seven state health care associations — the Maine Medical Association, Maine Academy of Family Physicians, Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Maine Academy of Physician Associates, Maine Nurse Practitioner Association, Maine Osteopathic Association, and Maine Public Health Association — issued a joint news release on Tuesday opposing the Trump administration’s changes “that depart from established scientific evidence.”
“The rise of infectious diseases, such as measles cases reaching a 35-year high, is a result of increased vaccine hesitancy,” said Dr. James Jarvis, president of the Maine Medical Association. “This executive order will only exacerbate this burgeoning crisis and lead to more harm to children.”
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Rebecca Boulos, executive director of the Maine Public Health Association, emphasized the impact of “issuing public health guidance based on personal belief” rather than science.
“The laissez-faire approach to vaccination by this administration is continuing to erode trust in public health and threatens the health of children, immunocompromised patients and our national security,” Boulos stated.
The order calls for changes that could significantly impact families for whom accessing care is already a challenge, said Maine Academy of Physician Associates President Kathleen Moneghan.
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“Separating vaccines and requiring additional appointments could create even more barriers for families — especially those in rural communities where access to pediatric care can already be limited,” Moneghan stated.
Mills criticized Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for “playing politics” in a written statement on Tuesday.
“President Trump and Secretary Kennedy are playing politics with the lives of our nation’s children. Vaccines are safe and effective and save lives,” Mills said. “Maine will continue to follow the science and the facts, and our approach to vaccines remains unchanged by yesterday’s executive order.”
Maine CDC Director Dr. Puthiery Va also emphasized the effectiveness of vaccines in a written statement Tuesday.
“In Maine, vaccines remain available at no cost to eligible children through the Maine CDC’s immunization program,” Va stated. “Maine’s school and child care immunization requirements remain unchanged by federal actions to date.”
This story contains reporting from The Associated Press.
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Tagged: maine cdc, President Donald Trump, vaccines
Drew is the night reporter for the Portland Press Herald. He previously covered South Portland, Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth for the Sentry, Leader and Southern Forecaster. Though he is from Massachusetts,. More by Drew Johnson
