Australian health experts fear US vaccine scepticism is catching on as ‘anything Trump says filters through’

Australia records 3% fall in one-year-olds fully immunised against hepatitis B as downward trend continues, expert says Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australian medical experts have warned a shift in child vaccination advice in the US is not grounded in science and could undo decades of public health advances. The US president, Donald Trump, signed an unprecedented executive order calling for American children to be vaccinated against fewer diseases, suggesting a link to autism despite no evidence. The official number of recommended immunisations for children would drop to 11, compared with 18 at the end of 2024. Six of those shots would be recommended for all children in the US, while the five others would only be recommended for high-risk children, including hepatitis B. Australia currently recommends 15 childhood vaccinations, all of which health experts say are key to protecting children’s health. Prof Julie Leask, a social scientist at the University of Sydney and an expert on social behaviours surrounding vaccination, said Trump’s decision, and his broader embrace of the US health secreta