CDC Vaccine Schedule Changes: Revised Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedules

On January 5, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that the childhood and adolescent immunization schedule be revised.

As part of the review, HHS and CDC examined best-practice childhood and adolescent immunization schedules from other developed countries, along with the underlying evidence and data supporting the vaccines. The new recommendation decreases the number of vaccines recommended for all children. Additional vaccines should be considered for children and adolescents in certain high-risk groups or populations, and other vaccines are recommended based on shared clinical decision-making between the health care provider and the patient or parent/guardian.

What Does “Shared Clinical Decision-Making” Mean for Vaccinations?

When the CDC and FDA recommend a vaccination as a shared clinical decision-making vaccination, it means that it is not routinely recommended for all patients. For example, unlike routine, catch-up, and risk-based recommendations, shared clinical decision-making recommendations are individually tailored and made through an informed decision-making process between healthcare professionals and the patient or the patient’s parent/guardian. This approach emphasizes personalized care, requiring thoughtful discussion and follow-up to ensure timely administration of all vaccine doses.

Why Did the HHS and the CDC Decide to Revise the Schedule?

Building on this approach, federal officials note that one of the reasons for the revised schedule is to increase vaccine uptake and trust. They hope that recommending fewer vaccines for all children and adolescents, and removing vaccines some deem unnecessary for healthy children from the standard schedule, will improve acceptance.

For the vaccines recommended for shared clinical decision-making, health care providers, parents/guardians, and patients should decide together whether they are appropriate on a patient-to-patient basis. Decisions should be based on the individual’s characteristics, values, and preferences; the provider’s medical judgment; and the characteristics of the vaccine being considered.

Will Insurance Coverage Now Change Based on this Decision?

Insurance coverage of ALL vaccines for ALL patients, regardless of recommendation category, will remain in effect. This provides assurance to both physicians and patients that if they determine a specific vaccine is recommended or desired, insurance will cover it with no out-of-pocket expense.

A fact sheet for this decision provided by the CDC explains insurance coverage in further detail: All immunizations recommended by the CDC as of December 31, 2025, will continue to be fully covered by Affordable Care Act insurance plans and federal insurance programs, including Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Vaccines for Children program. Families will not have to purchase them out of pocket. This means that insurance will continue to cover more vaccines for children in the U.S. than in peer nations, where insurance generally only pays for recommended vaccines.

What’s Next?

The CDC fact sheet also outlines the agency’s next steps: The CDC will continue to closely monitor vaccine uptake, infectious disease rates, and vaccine safety. For health care providers, the CDC will publish the updated Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule by Age (through age 18), including immunization recommendations for all children, guidance for certain high-risk groups or populations, and vaccines recommended through shared clinical decision-making.

HHS will work with states and physician groups to educate parents and providers on the updated CDC childhood immunization schedule. The CDC will continue to closely monitor vaccine uptake, infectious disease rates, and vaccine safety.

At this time, we recommend that our members review the full HHS decision memo, the updated vaccine schedules, the CDC fact sheet, and any guidance from their professional organizations to prepare for questions from patients and parents or guardians. These resources are attached below.

We will continue to provide our members with additional information as it becomes available.