Court Order Presses Pause on New ACIP Committee and Changes to Childhood Vaccination Schedule

It has been a tumultuous year for federal vaccine policy – and children are starting to feel the effects. Amidst a major measles outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) chose to roll back nearly half of all childhood vaccination recommendations in early January. As readers of Say Ahhh! Health Policy Blog might…

March 31, 2026

By

Kelly Whitener

and

Hannah Green

Blog

Critical Threats to Child and Family Health Intensify in 2026: Here is What We are Watching at CCF

The policy landscape for child and family health has undergone a dramatic transformation following the passage of H.R. 1, the budget reconciliation bill known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and related policy changes enacted during the first year of the Trump administration. As we enter the second year of this administration, the Georgetown…

February 6, 2026

By

Joan Alker

Blog

HHS Announces Changes to Recommended Vaccine Schedule for Children

Vaccines and immunizations are safe, effective ways to prevent serious illness by teaching the body’s immune system to recognize and defend against harmful germs. For children and adolescents, vaccines are typically given according to the child and adolescent immunization schedule. The schedule shows which vaccines are recommended by age and offers guidance on intervals for…

January 15, 2026

By

Kelly Whitener

and

Hannah Green

Blog

ACIP’s Hepatitis B Recommendation Threatens Future Vaccine Access Issues for Children and Families

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for two days to discuss, among other topics, the hepatitis B vaccine. Specifically, the committee heard presentations on and discussed the initial dose of the vaccine, typically given to babies within the first 24 hours of life, before…

December 12, 2025

By

Hannah Green

Blog

The Vaccines for Children Program: A Solution to a Complex Challenge

Between 1982 and 1986, a vaccine liability crisis loomed as the greatest threat to immunizing our children. In this light, the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-660) was enacted to address this problem by creating a system for “no-fault” compensation for families of children with adverse conditions related to routine pediatric immunizations.…

October 8, 2025

By

Kay Johnson

Blog

Preventive Services at Risk: Federal Instability and State Responses

In late June, the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) preventive services provision, preserving—for now—zero cost sharing access to screenings, vaccines, and other preventive care for more than 150 million people. The decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management Inc. foreclosed a constitutional challenge to coverage of preventive care while underscoring new risks to consumers’ access to…

September 26, 2025

By

,

,

and

Blog

What does the CDC’s Vaccine Panel have to do with Medicaid?

Vaccine safety and changes happening at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have been an ongoing topic of conversation throughout the past few months. As we have previously discussed here on Say Ahhh!, HHS has announced upcoming studies and potential changes to how vaccines are approved and recommended for different populations. Most notably,…

September 10, 2025

By

Kelly Whitener

and

Hannah Green

Blog

What is the Current Status of Vaccines in the US?

As fall respiratory virus season ramps up, major changes to the vaccine policy landscape in the U.S. are coming. Some states, such as Florida, have announced an effort to end all vaccine requirements for children to attend school. Federally, changes promulgated by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have…

September 9, 2025

By

Hannah Green

and

Kelly Whitener

Blog

New CMS Toolkit Outlines Vaccine Coverage and Payment Policies in Medicaid, CHIP and BHP

While it has long been clear that vaccines play a critical role in protecting individuals and communities from infectious disease, recent data show declining vaccination rates among individuals of all ages. For the 2020-21 school year, the vaccination rate among kindergartners declined nationwide, despite vaccine exemption policies remaining largely unchanged. Preliminary data indicate that among…

March 6, 2024

By

Kelly Whitener

Blog

New Data Underscores Need to Catch up on Routine Childhood Vaccinations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated data on vaccination coverage among kindergartners, showing a continued decline in the share of children with the recommended doses of routine childhood vaccines needed to prevent the spread of harmful diseases. The report includes data on vaccination rates by state for four vaccines: measles, mumps,…

January 19, 2023

By

Kelly Whitener

Blog

White House Enlists Broad Range of Programs, Partners to Connect Youngest Children to COVID Vaccines

Many parents are anxiously awaiting approval of the COVID vaccine for children under age 5. Once approved, the vaccines will close the final gap in vaccine access so that Americans of all ages can get immunized. As we wait for final approvals, the Biden Administration has been at work shoring up a range of partners…

June 10, 2022

By

Elisabeth Wright Burak

Blog

Removing Barriers to Vaccines for Kids Should be Top Priority

As the COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for adults, then teens and school-aged children, researchers are monitoring the vaccination trends for different groups. About a year after vaccines were approved for adults, almost 72% of the US adult population is fully vaccinated according to the most recent CDC data. Vaccines for teens ages 12 and…

December 14, 2021

By

Kelly Whitener

Blog

Decline in Routine Childhood Vaccinations Puts Children, Families and Communities at Risk of Outbreak

In May 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that provider orders for non-influenza childhood vaccines through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program had decreased by a total of about 11.7 million doses during the COVID-19 pandemic. These numbers are shockingly high, but likely underestimate the total number of missed doses. (The…

July 15, 2021

By

Kelly Whitener

and

Alexandra Corcoran

Research & Reports

Urgent Action Needed to Catch Up on Routine Childhood Vaccinations

Introduction Vaccines are a safe and effective method of reducing the burden of infectious disease. On an individual level, they prevent severe illness, death, and long-term consequences of disease such as neurological disorders. On the community level, they forestall dangerous outbreaks of infectious disease and save money that would otherwise be spent on treating preventable…

July 15, 2021

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