The Trump administration has proposed major changes to the federal childhood vaccination schedule, including breaking up the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into individual shots.
According to medical professionals who spoke to KIRO 7, the changes to the vaccine regimen may confuse parents ahead of a new school year and may make it harder for people to access the immunizations they need.
According to the Washington State Department of Health, school immunization rules have not changed, and children still require the complete MMR vaccine to attend school.
The MMR vaccine is currently administered as a single dose that protects against all three diseases. Since the ‘new standard’ requires multiple doses, doctors who spoke with KIRO 7 say people may have trouble finding the shots.
They told KIRO 7 it is rare for individual shots for measles alone to be available at local pharmacies or walk-in clinics.
Dr. Jim Polo, representing the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, (WCAAP) expressed concern over how split schedules will affect parents and children.
“[The change] makes it more confusing for parents: what do we do, who do we trust, but also makes it more complicated for kids,” Polo said.
Dr. Lelach Rave, Executive Director of the WCAAP, clarified that enrollment rules remain in effect. “If you want to have your child enrolled in schools, the requirements in terms of the vaccines have not changed,” Rave said.
Rave added that state law does not permit personal or philosophical objections for the shot. “You can no longer have a philosophical exemption for the MMR vaccine in the State of WA,” Rave said.
Data from WA DOH shows that more than 90% of K-12 students were fully immunized during the 2025-26 school year. Dr. Danielle Zerr, Division Chief and Professor, Pediatrics at Seattle Children’s Hospital, highlighted the protection vaccines offer. “these diseases are preventable and we have these wonderful tools called vaccines that are so effect. You take something like measles where the vaccine is highly highly effective,” Zerr said. Zerr emphasized that widespread adoption helps prevent outbreaks across schools and towns. “everyone needs to do their part with vaccines to protect the person themselves the child themselves but and to create a community where these diseases aren’t being transmitted,” Zerr said.
Last year, the Trump administration dismissed the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, an advisory board that included University of Washington epidemiology professor Helen Chu. The University highlighted the dismissal with an article online and Dr Chu reacted to the disbanding of the body saying it could and most like would impact vaccine policy. She even said it could impact the childhood vaccine schedule. Dr. Ana Weil, an Assistant Professor of allergy and infectious diseases at the University of Washington Medical School, is a colleague of Dr Chu and noted that the new recommendations lack scientific backing. “the overall disregard for some expert opinion Does seem very consistent with this new recommendation which as I mentioned previously is not based on any new evidence or any studies that have resulted to support spacing out childhood vaccines or a change in the vaccine schedule,” Weil said.
Many local pharmacies continue to provide standard childhood immunizations through walk-in clinics. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents with questions regarding vaccine schedules to consult directly with their child’s doctor.
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