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Virginia Department of Health Commits to Evidence-Based Vaccine Recommendations and Ensuring Access to Childhood Vaccinations 

Richmond, Va. – In response to the recent Presidential Executive Order pertaining to childhood vaccine recommendations, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is reaffirming its previously stated commitment to vaccines as an essential tool in protecting the health of children, their families, and their communities. 

The Presidential Executive Order does not change vaccine recommendations or school immunization requirements in Virginia. VDH continues to recommend that children are vaccinated in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2026 Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule. VDH expects that healthcare providers will continue to rely on their clinical training and professional judgment and consult information published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians when engaging in shared clinical decision-making with parents, caregivers, and patients.   

“Virginia’s families should be able to trust that our vaccine recommendations are grounded in the best available science and focused on protecting the health and well-being of their children,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Cameron Webb. “The evidence supporting the AAP immunization schedule is extensive, and we remain confident that following it is one of the best ways to protect children from serious, preventable diseases. VDH will continue to follow the evidence, work with trusted clinical partners, and ensure families have access to the vaccines and reliable information they need.” 

“The Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (VA AAP) stands behind the AAP’s Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule, which is evidenced-based and rooted in decades of research and data,” said Dr. Erin Brickley, a practicing pediatrician in Marion, Va., and chair of the VA AAP’s Immunization Committee. “We will work together with VDH to continue protecting Virginia children from vaccine-preventable illnesses and ensuring parents have accurate information regarding the importance of on-time immunization.” 

Virginia is already taking action to evaluate and protect access to vaccines.  Pursuant to Item 278 M1, Ch 1, 2026 Acts of Assembly, Special Session I, VDH will convene its newly established Workgroup on Childhood Immunization Schedules and Public Health Emergencies in late August 2026. This group will bring together key partners – including healthcare practitioners, insurance representatives, and public health stakeholders – to review Virginia’s statutory and regulatory frameworks pertaining to access to childhood and emergency immunizations. 

If you have questions about vaccines or vaccine-preventable diseases, please talk to your healthcare provider or contact your local health department for more information.   

Virginia Department of Health and Gilead Settlement
VDH remains committed to the health, dignity and well-being of people living with HIV/AIDS in Virginia. 

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and Gilead Sciences, Inc. have reached a settlement agreement to resolve an approximately $16.8 million overpayment to the Virginia Medication Assistance Program (VA MAP) for AIDS Drug Assistance (ADAP) rebates under the Ryan White Part B Program. Gilead is a biopharmaceutical company that manufactures antiviral drugs used to treat HIV.

VDH and Gilead determined that the overpayment resulted from a data mismatch involving ineligible rebate claims submitted between the second quarter of 2021 and the second quarter of 2023. In 2022, VA MAP transitioned to a new vendor and began submitting data to Gilead using a new nomenclature for identifying ineligible rebate claims. That nomenclature was not compatible with Gilead’s data format specifications, resulting in rebate overpayments. Through good faith discussions, VDH and Gilead agreed on the amount of overpayments, resolved the technical issues that caused it, and implemented measures to prevent similar instances in the future. VDH also is strengthening its quality assurance and quality improvement processes for program administration.

Under the settlement, VDH will reimburse Gilead through deductions from future rebates owed to VDH. No additional funding sources will be used for repayment. Importantly, VDH and Gilead structured the repayment terms to support the continued operation of the Ryan White Part B Program.

The reduced rebate revenue for the Ryan White Part B program necessitated cuts to the program including service providers, reductions or elimination of some services and programs, and staff reductions. Despite these challenges, VDH remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the health, dignity and well-being of Virginians living with HIV. VDH has prioritized core medical services to ensure that eligible Virginians continue to have access to essential HIV care and medications. Patients remain covered and are receiving medications.

VDH is working closely with health care providers, community organizations and HIV advocates to strengthen and build a more resilient statewide infrastructure for Ryan White and HIV services. The department also is pursuing additional funding opportunities, including federal grants, to help sustain these critical services.

In addition, the General Assembly included more than $13 million over the next two fiscal years to help address the program’s funding gap and support continued access to HIV care for Virginians.

RICHMOND, Va. — Today, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) announced that Elaine Perry, M.D., former director of the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) and Central Region health director, is the new Deputy Commissioner for Community Health Services. She succeeds Susan Fischer Davis, M.D., who is retiring after more than four years in the role. A board-certified preventive medicine physician, Dr. Perry has served as RHHD director since July 2022. In October 2024, she expanded her leadership responsibilities by also serving as Central Region health director.

Dr. Perry brings decades of experience in clinical medicine, public health leadership, pharmaceutical safety, and epidemiology to her role. Her career began in the United States Navy, where she served five years on active duty as the senior medical officer at two clinics in Maine. Following her military service, she accepted the position of health director for the Peninsula Health District in Newport News.

A native of upstate New York, Dr. Perry earned a Bachelor of Science in biology, with honors in microbiology, from Penn State University. She attended Dartmouth Medical School and Brown Medical School, graduating with academic distinction. She completed a pediatrics internship at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth before completing a residency in preventive medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where she also earned a master’s degree in Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine.

Throughout her tenure at VDH, Dr. Perry has led efforts to strengthen public health infrastructure, advance disease prevention initiatives, and improve the health of communities across Central Virginia.

Dr. Perry assumed her new role as Deputy Commissioner for Community Health Services on June 25.