# Trump lost patience with RFK Jr.’s autism research before vaccine shake-up > Source: > Published: 2026-08-24 13:50:33+00:00 # Trump lost patience with RFK Jr.’s autism research before vaccine shake-up [President Donald Trump](/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-maha-ai-data-centers-rfk-jr-b3037333.html)signed an executive order scaling back the federal childhood vaccination schedule from 17 to 11 shots due to frustration over the pace of research into alleged autism links.- The executive order calls for unbundling the combined MMR vaccine into separate doses and instructs the Justice Department to challenge state-level school vaccine mandates. - Health Secretary [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.](/news/world/americas/us-politics/fda-heidi-overton-trump-rfk-b3036003.html)is overseeing agency studies into potential vaccine dangers, though scientific consensus consistently shows no link between vaccines and autism. - Leading medical associations warned that the directive will sow confusion, heighten vaccine hesitancy, and leave more children vulnerable to preventable diseases. - Administration officials noted that the executive order does not fundamentally transform immunization policy on its own, with long-term changes dependent on ongoing agency reviews.