{"id":2728,"date":"2026-02-18T16:52:51","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T16:52:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/clinicians\/?page_id=2728"},"modified":"2026-02-19T13:24:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T13:24:14","slug":"updates-on-virginia-department-of-health-vaccine-recommendations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/clinicians\/updates-on-virginia-department-of-health-vaccine-recommendations\/","title":{"rendered":"Updates on Virginia Department of Health Vaccine\u00a0Recommendations\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t

\"VDH<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

February\u00a0<\/span>19<\/span>, 2026<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Updates on Virginia Department of Health Vaccine Recommendations<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dear Colleague,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To date, VDH has now reported 10 cases of\u00a0<\/span>measles in 2026<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2014 twice the number of measles cases reported in all of 2025. Although the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has not yet\u00a0identified\u00a0a measles outbreak or evidence of community transmission in Virginia, the recent increase in cases both in Virginia and nationally is a good reminder of the importance of vaccines in protecting our communities.<\/span>\u00a0As we continue our shared mission to safeguard our communities, we would like to provide the following updates and reminders\u00a0regarding\u00a0childhood and adolescent\u00a0immunizations.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On January 5, 2026,\u00a0the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services\u00a0(HHS)\u00a0announced significant changes to the Centers for Disease Control and\u00a0Prevention's\u00a0(CDC)\u00a0childhood immunization schedule.\u00a0This change was\u00a0made\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0absence of\u00a0new data or safety signals\u00a0to\u00a0prompt such an update.\u00a0\u00a0On January 26, 2026,\u00a0the AAP published\u00a0its\u00a0<\/span>Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule<\/span><\/a>, US, 2026.\u00a0The\u00a0updates below\u00a0reflect\u00a0that\u00a0VDH\u00a0vaccine\u00a0recommendations\u00a0are\u00a0clear and grounded in science,\u00a0enabling\u00a0informed conversations and\u00a0decisions\u00a0between families and their healthcare providers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

American Academy of Pediatrics 2026 Immunization Schedule<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Vaccinations play a critical role in\u00a0protecting the health of children,\u00a0families,\u00a0and\u00a0communities.\u00a0<\/span>VDH\u00a0strongly recommends that all children in the Commonwealth\u00a0be\u00a0vaccinated\u00a0in accordance with\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span><\/b>American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule<\/span><\/b><\/a>.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0After thorough review of the\u00a0various schedules, our agency\u00a0believes\u00a0that\u00a0AAP\u2019s recommended\u00a0schedule\u00a0best\u00a0reflects the\u00a0existing\u00a0science\u00a0on\u00a0how to\u00a0optimally protect\u00a0Virginia\u2019s children and adolescents against\u00a018\u00a0vaccine-preventable diseases.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

VDH\u00a0expects\u00a0healthcare providers to continue relying on their clinical training and professional judgement, and to\u00a0consult information published by\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>American Academy of Pediatrics<\/span><\/a>\u202fand the\u202f<\/span>American Academy of Family Physicians<\/span><\/a>\u202fwhen engaging in shared clinical decision-making with parents, caregivers, and patients.\u202fVaccines\u00a0remain\u00a0widely accessible in Virginia\u00a0and\u00a0VDH expects Virginia healthcare providers to continue to offer these vaccines to children and adolescents.\u00a0As you know, a healthcare provider\u2019s recommendation\u00a0remains\u00a0one of the most powerful factors in a person\u2019s decision to receive a vaccine.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Virginia\u2019s Vaccine Requirements for School Attendance Remain Unchanged<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Please\u00a0note\u00a0that the minimum\u00a0immunization\u00a0requirements for school entrance in Virginia are outlined in the\u00a0<\/span>Code of Virginia<\/span><\/a> and remain unchanged as compared to last school year. Additional information on school immunization requirements can also be found on our <\/span>School Immunization Requirements<\/span><\/a> webpage.<\/p>\n

VDH will continue to rely on systematic and transparent\u00a0review\u00a0of scientific evidence\u00a0to\u00a0inform any\u00a0future\u00a0updates to immunization\u00a0requirements,\u00a0guidance,\u00a0or practice.\u00a0Thank you for your\u00a0collaboration in\u00a0keeping Virginia\u2019s\u00a0families healthy and safe.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sincerely,\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

B. Cameron Webb, MD, JD<\/span>
\n<\/span>State Health Commissioner<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  February\u00a019, 2026\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Updates on Virginia Department of Health Vaccine Recommendations\u00a0 Dear Colleague,\u00a0 To date, VDH has now reported 10 cases of\u00a0measles in 2026\u00a0\u2014 twice the number of measles cases reported in all of 2025. Although the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has not yet\u00a0identified\u00a0a measles […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":510,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2728","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nUpdates on Virginia Department of Health Vaccine\u00a0Recommendations\u00a0 - Clinicians<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/clinicians\/updates-on-virginia-department-of-health-vaccine-recommendations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Updates on Virginia Department of Health Vaccine\u00a0Recommendations\u00a0 - Clinicians\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"  February\u00a019, 2026\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Updates on Virginia Department of Health Vaccine Recommendations\u00a0 Dear Colleague,\u00a0 To date, VDH has now reported 10 cases of\u00a0measles in 2026\u00a0\u2014 twice the number of measles cases reported in all of 2025. 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