Dr. Oz says MMR is "not a lethal vaccine" despite Trump's comments
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the MMR vaccine is "not a lethal vaccine," despite President Trump's claims in recent days.
Updated on: August 23, 2026 / 2:59 PM EDT / CBS News
"No, the MMR vaccine is not a lethal vaccine," Oz said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan ."
While the Trump administration has been encouraging parents to vaccinate their children against measles as cases have risen to their highest levels in 35 years, an executive order signed by Mr. Trump earlier this month suggested that the MMR vaccine should be given as three separate shots. During the executive order signing, Mr. Trump claimed without evidence that the MMR vaccine, if not separated, could be "lethal." The vaccines are not currently on the market in the U.S. as separate shots.
"Together there could be a possibility they are quite lethal," Mr. Trump said. "Separately it looks like they are not at all lethal, but just very effective."
Oz stressed on Sunday that the president wants Americans "to get vaccinated as their doctors recommend, as long as they have a choice in the matter."