Splitting the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine into separate shots could take up to a decade, according to one of the two companies that produce the vaccine for the U.S. market.
“Even under current expedited review pathways, it could take years—potentially as many as 10—to meet the safety and efficacy requirements to obtain FDA approval and then begin manufacturing and commercialization” of single-disease shots, Merck said in a statement.
Merck, which did not respond to a request for more details, had told Politifact in 2025—after President Donald Trump floated splitting the MMR vaccine—that it could take more than 10 years to separate the components into three separate vaccines….