{"id":17495,"date":"2026-02-19T13:31:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T18:31:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/?page_id=17495"},"modified":"2026-02-19T13:57:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T18:57:15","slug":"virginia-department-of-health-reaffirms-its-commitment-to-vaccines-as-a-critical-tool-in-protecting-the-health-of-families-and-communities","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/virginia-department-of-health-reaffirms-its-commitment-to-vaccines-as-a-critical-tool-in-protecting-the-health-of-families-and-communities\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia Department of Health Reaffirms its Commitment to Vaccines as a Critical Tool in Protecting the Health of Families and Communities\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\u00a0<\/span><\/b> February<\/span><\/b>\u00a019,<\/span><\/b>\u00a02026<\/span><\/b>
\n<\/span>Media Contact:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0Logan Anderson,\u00a0<\/span>Logan.Anderson@vdh.virginia.gov<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Virginia Department of Health Reaffirms its Commitment to Vaccines as a Critical Tool in Protecting the Health of Families and Communities<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Richmond,\u00a0Va.\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Virginia Department of Health\u00a0(VDH)\u00a0is\u00a0reaffirming its commitment to vaccines as an essential tool in protecting the health of children, their families, and their communities.\u00a0VDH recommends that children are vaccinated\u00a0in accordance with\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span>American Academy of Pediatrics\u00a0(AAP)\u00a02026 Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0VDH expects that healthcare providers will continue to rely on their clinical training and professional judgment and consult information published by the\u00a0<\/span>American Academy of Pediatrics<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0<\/span>American Academy of Family Physicians<\/span><\/a>\u00a0when engaging in shared clinical decision-making with parents, caregivers, and patients.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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

On January 26, 2026,\u00a0the AAP published their\u00a0<\/span>Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule<\/span><\/a>, US, 2026, formally endorsed by 12 medical and healthcare organizations. This schedule routinely recommends vaccines against<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>18 diseases.\u00a0<\/span>VDH believes the AAP\u00a0schedule optimally protects Virginia\u2019s children and adolescents against\u00a0vaccine-preventable\u00a0diseases.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Vaccines\u00a0remain\u00a0widely accessible in Virginia. VDH anticipates that Virginia healthcare providers will continue to offer these vaccines to children and adolescents. Patients should call their healthcare provider to confirm\u00a0the\u00a0availability of vaccines and ask questions about which vaccines are best for them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cVaccines remain one of the most powerful public health tools that we have to keep Virginia families and communities healthy,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0<\/span>State Health Commissioner Dr. Cameron Webb<\/span><\/b>.\u00a0\u201cThe majority of\u00a0Virginians\u00a0 choose\u00a0to vaccinate their children against these diseases. VDH continues to support Virginia\u2019s families and healthcare providers by ensuring we\u00a0reinforce\u00a0science-based public health recommendations to inform those\u00a0healthcare\u00a0decisions.\u00a0The recent increases in\u00a0<\/span>measles\u00a0cases<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in Virginia and the United States\u00a0are a strong reminder of the importance and power of vaccines to protect our health.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Virginia school entrance requirements are outlined in\u00a0<\/span>Virginia statute<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and remain unchanged.\u00a0<\/span>Additional\u00a0information on school immunization requirements can also be found on our webpage:\u00a0<\/span>School Requirements – Immunization<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have questions about vaccines or vaccine-preventable diseases, please talk to your healthcare provider or contact\u00a0your\u00a0<\/span>local health department<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for more information.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\u00a0 February\u00a019,\u00a02026 Media Contact:\u00a0Logan Anderson,\u00a0Logan.Anderson@vdh.virginia.gov\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Virginia Department of Health Reaffirms its Commitment to Vaccines as a Critical Tool in Protecting the Health of Families and Communities\u00a0\u00a0 Richmond,\u00a0Va.\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Virginia Department of Health\u00a0(VDH)\u00a0is\u00a0reaffirming its commitment to vaccines as an essential tool in protecting the health of children, their families, and their communities.\u00a0VDH recommends that children […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17495","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nVirginia Department of Health Reaffirms its Commitment to Vaccines as a Critical Tool in Protecting the Health of Families and Communities\u00a0 - 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