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U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) released the following statement on President Donald Trump’s Executive Order upending decades of federal guidance on which vaccines are administered to children:

“Parents already face enough challenges when it comes to keeping their children healthy. They should not be forced to pay for additional doctor visits, take more time off work, and make repeated trips to the doctor because the Trump Administration is choosing to make routine childhood vaccinations more complicated and burdensome. For decades, the combined MMR vaccine has safely and effectively protected children against serious and preventable diseases. Breaking it into separate shots administered at separate visits would create additional costs for families and unnecessary barriers to care. It also creates more opportunities for children to miss an appointment, fall behind on their vaccinations, and remain vulnerable to preventable illness. Even more troubling is that these changes are rooted in efforts to legitimize debunked claims that vaccines cause autism. Public health policy should be based on science and decades of evidence, not misinformation. There is nothing healthy about making proven preventive care more expensive, less accessible, and leaving our children less safe,” said Congresswoman Dingell.