Kansas sticks with ‘scientific evidence’ for vaccine schedule, despite Trump order

Kansas health officials aren't changing the state's recommendations for childhood vaccinations, despite an executive order from President Donald Trump that makes numerous changes, including the number of vaccines recommended for all children. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA — Kansas won’t change its vaccine schedule to match the executive order from President Donald Trump but instead will continue to “trust in scientific evidence” and follow recommendations from major health organizations, a spokeswoman said. 

In an executive order, Trump recommended separating the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination — although there aren’t separate vaccines available — and that all vaccines should be given in separate doctor’s visits. 

The order also separated vaccines into three categories, delineating vaccines for all children, those in certain high-risk populations and several “based on shared clinical decision-making.”

Jill Bronaugh, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department for Health and Environment, wrote in an email that vaccines are one of the most effective tools for preventing serious infectious diseases. 

“Decades of rigorous studies have shown they are safe and effective,” she said. “We remain committed to supporting clinical guidance and recommendations that provide the most accurate, credible and transparent information available for health professionals and Kansas families.”

KDHE currently follows immunization guidance from the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Bronaugh said. 

“We continue to review and assess the most current and accurate information before making any changes or issuing additional guidance or educational materials as it relates to current vaccine schedules and recommendations,” she said. 

When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was appointed to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, he was well-known for disseminating inaccurate information about vaccines that wasn’t based on scientific studies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called for changing the vaccine schedule in January, and at the time Bronaugh said the state wouldn’t follow the recommendations. 

The Kansas Legislature inserted a provision in the state’s budget bill that would have forced the state to follow CDC vaccine recommendations. Gov. Laura Kelly used her line item veto authority to reject the idea. 

Bronaugh said parents or caregivers with questions about current Kansas immunization schedules should talk to their medical providers.