The American Academy of Pediatrics released its 2026 immunization schedule Jan. 26, breaking from the CDC for the first time in 30 years and heightening a legal and public health standoff over childhood vaccine policy.
The move follows the CDC’s Jan. 5 decision to scale back routine childhood immunization recommendations from 18 to 11 diseases — a change medical groups say lacks scientific justification and public input.
The AAP and five other organizations filed an amended complaint Jan. 19 seeking to block the new federal schedule, arguing the cuts could harm public health. At least 28 state health departments have since said they will follow the AAP’s recommendations instead of the CDC’s, according to a Jan. 22 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“This is the exact same recommendation we’ve had all along — the same recommendations the federal government used to agree with,” said AAP President Andrew Racine, MD, PhD, during a Jan. 26 briefing, according to a Jan. 26 report from NBC News.
Dr. Sean O’Leary, chair of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases, echoed those sentiments and said the CDC’s changes “are a strong departure from the medical evidence.”
Here are six notes from the AAP’s 2026 immunization schedule:
1. Eighteen diseases are covered.
The AAP continues to recommend routine immunization for protection against 18 diseases, including respiratory syncytial virus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, influenza and meningococcal disease.
2. Twelve organizations endorsed AAP’s schedule.
The schedule is backed by 12 medical and healthcare organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
3. The schedule is consistent with 2025 guidance.
The AAP said the 2026 schedule remains largely unchanged from its August 2025 recommendations and reflects U.S.-specific disease risks and healthcare delivery.
4. Updates reflect disease burden and vaccine timing.
The schedule adjusts vaccine timing to optimize immune response, including updated RSV guidance based on age, pregnancy timing and product availability.
5. COVID-19 recommendations remain routine.
Unlike the CDC, the AAP continues to list COVID-19 vaccination as routinely recommended for all children starting at 6 months of age, following updated mRNA product availability.
6. The AAP expanded footnotes to clarify clinical decision-making.
The AAP includes detailed clinical guidance on catch-up schedules, shared decision-making scenarios and risk-based recommendations, particularly for meningococcal, hepatitis A and human papillomavirus vaccines.
