Trump's Vaccine Order Faces Decade-Long Regulatory Hurdle

President Donald Trump's executive order directing Americans to receive separate measles, mumps and rubella vaccines faces an immediate obstacle: none of the individual shots are licensed in the United States. According to experts, it could take years before any become available.

The only manufacturers licensed to make combined MMR shots in the US are Merck & Co. and GSK. Single disease shots have not been available in the US since 2008 when Merck stopped making them.

Both companies stated that there is no published scientific evidence supporting the separation of vaccines, with decades of data showing the safety of their combined shots.

The FDA would need to approve any new vaccine, and even under expedited review pathways, it could take years, potentially as many as 10, for single disease shots to meet the necessary requirements.