The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) expresses serious concern regarding reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced changes to childhood immunization recommendations that reduce the number of vaccines recommended for U.S. children. Changes of this magnitude, when not grounded in rigorous, transparent, and evidence-based review, risk undermining prevention efforts, creating confusion for families, and destabilizing immunization implementation in schools. These changes risk increasing public questioning regarding vaccines, reinforcing the false perception that vaccines are optional rather than essential for public health.
Decisions with far-reaching implications for children and schools must reflect transparent, rigorous, and evidence-based review processes
NASN is deeply dismayed by the criteria and processes that were used to inform the changes to childhood immunization recommendations in the United States. Decisions with far-reaching implications for children and schools must reflect transparent, rigorous, and evidence-based review processes that account for the realities of U.S. health care delivery, school systems, and population needs. Comparisons to other countries’ immunization approaches, particularly those operating within fundamentally different health care delivery and financing systems, are not directly equivalent and risk oversimplifying complex access and equity considerations relevant to U.S. schools.
School nurses are responsible for implementing immunization requirements in schools, supporting families in understanding those requirements, and responding to questions and concerns that arise at the intersection of health policy and education. Clear, consistent federal guidance—grounded in scientific evidence—is essential to this work.
Abrupt or non-evidence-based changes to national immunization recommendations create confusion for families, inconsistencies across states and districts, and additional burdens on schools already navigating significant health and staffing challenges. Such uncertainty disproportionately affects under-resourced communities, where preventable illness can more quickly disrupt attendance, learning continuity, and student well-being. These changes could also affect future health insurance coverage for vaccines, potentially limiting access for families and further reducing vaccination rates.
NASN supports alignment of childhood immunization recommendations with established scientific consensus and collaboration among pediatric, nursing, and public health experts to ensure immunization policies protect children and enable schools to function safely and effectively in the United States.
School nurses remain committed to advancing prevention, promoting health equity, and ensuring that every student is healthy, safe, and ready to learn.