WHO raises concerns over US vaccination policy

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has raised concerns over US vaccination policy after the country decided to scale back its childhood vaccination schedule, saying that vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent dangerous diseases.

Sharing a post on X, he noted that the World Health Organisation is concerned that recent changes to immunisation policy in the United States are not consistent with data accumulated through decades of research showing when children are most vulnerable to disease, when vaccines provide the strongest protection, how many doses are needed and which vaccines can safely be given together, Caliber.Az reports.

“Every parent wants to keep their children safe, and vaccines are among the most powerful tools for doing that, making deadly diseases preventable,” the Ghebreyesus added.

Every parent wants to keep their children safe, and vaccines are among the most powerful tools for doing that, making deadly diseases preventable. @WHO is concerned that recent changes to US immunization policy are not aligned with decades of evidence that show when children… pic.twitter.com/vCfgJFrFGK

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 12, 2026

He stressed that the evidence behind vaccination recommendations is continuously reviewed as new data emerge from around the world.

According to the WHO chief, the current evidence is unequivocal that vaccines, including the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, are safe and do not cause autism.

“Delaying vaccines or separating doses unnecessarily does not make vaccination safer and can leave children unprotected,” he remarked.

In his words, global evidence and recommendations, including those issued by the WHO, are used by national experts when developing vaccination policies and they take into account factors such as local disease patterns, healthcare systems and the needs of their populations when deciding which vaccines and immunisation schedules are most appropriate.

“Vaccination policy should be guided by rigorous, independent and transparent review of the best available science, not by political influence,” Ghebreyesus explained.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov