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Communicating Vaccine Schedule Information In A Changing Environment

Last Updated: October 22, 2026

In January 2026, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced significant changes to the United States’ recommended pediatric immunization schedule without following established procedures or providing a scientific rationale. As of March 2026, all of those recommendations have been put on hold. However, the situation has raised concerns among public health and healthcare professionals about potential parental confusion regarding vaccine access and safety, which could lead to decreased vaccine uptake and increases in preventable illness.

When communicating about pediatric immunization in general, lead with messaging about childhood immunizations and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended schedule.

If you face specific questions about whether vaccine recommendations have changed or confusion about conflicting information, use the following messaging to answer questions and reinforce reliable guidance.

Current Status

As of October 22, 2026.

  • What’s on hold: The January 2026 changes to the federal childhood immunization schedule, the appointments of 13 members to the federal vaccine advisory committee (ACIP), and every vote those members took. A federal judge blocked implementation of these while the case, American Academy of Pediatrics v. Kennedy, moves through the court system.
  • What’s in effect: The CDC childhood immunization schedule from before any of these proposed changes is still in effect. The vaccines that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends also haven’t changed, and AAP’s 2026 schedule is endorsed by more than 12 national medical societies.
  • What’s next: The federal government has appealed the ruling. The case will move through the court system and may not be settled for some time.

Vaccine Schedules to Share

Point people to the medical associations that have set evidence-based schedules for each group.

Answering Community Questions

Has the childhood immunization schedule changed?

The vaccines that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends haven’t changed. The AAP schedule is endorsed by a broad group of leading medical and health organizations, representing more than 1 million clinicians, physicians, pharmacists, and other pediatric healthcare professionals.

You may have come across news about changes to the CDC’s childhood vaccination schedule, but those changes haven’t gone into effect. A federal court put those changes on hold in March 2026, after the AAP and other prominent medical organizations raised concerns about how those decisions were made.

Weren’t most of the changes about reducing the number of vaccines I need to give my child? Why wouldn’t I want to do that?

The immune system of a baby or young child can respond to multiple vaccines at the same time. During a single visit, a child may receive several vaccines that protect against different diseases. Each vaccine teaches the immune system to recognize and fight germs before children are exposed to the real disease, helping build protection without overwhelming the body or weakening the immune system. For babies, they are exposed to many more challenges to their immune systems every day through normal activities like eating, breathing, and interacting with their environment than they encounter through vaccines. 

Should I delay vaccination until the court ruling is resolved?

No. It may take a long time for the courts to resolve this issue, and following the AAP’s recommended schedule remains the best way to protect children from serious illness. The schedule is designed to protect children when they are most vulnerable. Delaying recommended vaccines or skipping recommended doses extends the period during which children remain vulnerable to preventable diseases.

I was told that part of the proposed changes had to do with the Hepatitis B vaccine. Is this vaccine still recommended for babies, even if their parents test negative for Hepatitis B?

Yes, the AAP recommends that all babies receive the complete Hepatitis B vaccine series. Babies should get their first dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth and then complete the vaccine series by getting the second dose at 1-2 months old and the third dose at 6-18 months old. Getting the Hep B vaccine at a very early age provides effective, lifelong protection against liver damage, liver failure, and liver cancer. 

As part of its proposed changes — which are not in effect — CDC advisers voted to change recommendations for the universal birth dose of Hepatitis B. They recommended that the parents of infants born to mothers who test negative for Hepatitis B engage in “clinical-based decision making” before deciding whether or not to vaccinate the baby against Hepatitis B. They also recommended that families talk to their doctor about getting an antibody blood test after the first Hepatitis B dose before completing the series. Neither of these recommendations is based on any new scientific evidence and could unnecessarily delay or hinder access to the Hepatitis B vaccine.

I was told that the MMRV combination vaccine is no longer recommended — is that true?

The AAP recommends that parents choose between MMR or MMRV for their first dose. The schedule doesn’t state a preference between the two, and both are available. For a child’s second dose, the AAP recommends MMRV to reduce the number of injections.

Both the MMR and MMRV vaccines are combination vaccines, which means they protect against several diseases in a single dose to reduce the number of injections a person receives. MMRV protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox). If parents opt for the MMR vaccine, a separate vaccine is available for varicella.

The MMR, MMRV, and standalone varicella vaccines require two doses during childhood. The first dose is typically administered between 12 and 15 months. The second dose is typically administered at 4 years old.

There is a slightly higher risk of a febrile seizure after receiving the MMRV vaccine as the first dose compared to the MMR vaccine. The risk of febrile seizure is minimal, and it is more common after a high fever from an illness, like measles, than after a vaccine. There is no elevated risk associated with the second MMRV vaccine. 

I was told that one of the changes was to remove thimerosal from vaccines. Does this mean that thimerosal is in vaccines? Is it dangerous?

Thimerosal, also known as ethylmercury, is a preservative used in some types of influenza vaccines that the human body can process with minimal risk. Most vaccines don’t contain thimerosal, and none of the vaccines on the AAP childhood immunization schedule contain thimerosal. Thimerosal is used in only a small share of flu vaccines that come in multi-dose vials.

That said, thimerosal is a safe additive. There is no scientific evidence that thimerosal is harmful or causes autism.

Sources:

Related Messaging

More messaging from PHCC to communicate about routine vaccinations.

Related Resources for Your Community

More resources from PHCC that can be directly shared with your community about vaccines, including social graphics and handouts.

Related Communication Tools

Communicating the Difference Between Vaccines and Immunizations 

Social graphic explaining why multiple vaccines are recommended during the first few years of a child’s life. It highlights that the AAP immunization schedule is designed to protect children when they are most vulnerable to serious diseases and when vaccines provide the greatest benefit.

Shareable Social Graphics on the Childhood Immunization Schedule

Communicating About Vaccine-Related Side Effects

Better communication for better health.

The Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC) was developed in response to the urgent need for timely, relevant, and practical tools, messaging, and training to support and enhance the communications capacity of public health professionals across the country.

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