Medicare Administrator Clarifies MMR Vaccine Not 'Deadly' as Trump Vaccine Policy Draws Scrutiny

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz sought to clarify President Donald Trump's remarks on the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine while defending greater parental choice in childhood immunizations.

Oz Says MMR Vaccine Not 'Deadly'

Appearing on CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Oz was pressed repeatedly by host Margaret Brennan to clarify Trump's claim that combining the three vaccines could be "quite deadly." Trump has advocated for administering the vaccines separately.

Oz initially emphasized parental autonomy, saying: "We want patients to get the treatments that doctors recommend, but we also want parents to have the autonomy to decide what their children receive."

Brennan specifically pressed Oz on Trump's use of the word "deadly."

After several questions, Oz responded directly: "No, the MMR vaccine is not a deadly vaccine."

Oz Defends Vaccine Choice

Oz defended the administration's push for greater flexibility, saying: "The president wants Americans... to get vaccinated as their doctors recommend, as long as they have a choice in the matter."

Last week, CDC data showed that 92.4% of U.S. kindergarteners received the MMR vaccine during the 2025-26 school year, down from the previous year.

Trump Changes Vaccine Rules

Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order narrowing federal universal childhood vaccination recommendations to 11 core vaccines and calling for better alignment with other developed countries.

The order also directed the Department of Health and Human Services to explore administering measles, mumps and rubella vaccines separately, review vaccination programs and strengthen vaccine safety monitoring.

Merck & Co Inc.'s M-M-R II and ProQuad, GSK PLC's Priorix, and Sanofi SA's Vaxelis could be affected by these changes.

Merck said it remains committed to "rigorous, evidence-based science" and stated there is no published evidence supporting benefits of splitting the MMR vaccine into three separate shots.

Lawmakers Question Trump Vaccine Policy

Senate Health Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy criticized FDA nominee Dr. Heidi Overton's role in Trump's vaccine executive order, calling it "almost disqualifying" and questioning her commitment to "sound science and protecting children's health."

Senator Chuck Schumer also attacked Trump's vaccine remarks as "ravings of a madman" and urged parents not to follow vaccine advice from Trump or Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Schumer said such remarks have led to an increase in measles cases.