As of today, 30 states, including DC, have announced that they are no longer going to follow CDC's recommendations for some or all childhood vaccines.
www.kff.org/other-health...
Next ACIP meeting (for March 18-19) is now formally noticed in the Federal Register. Matters to be considered and voted on may include "COVID-19 vaccine injuries"
public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-03877.pdf
Opening “Sleepless in Denver” at #CROI2026, @jenkatesdc.bsky.social of @kff.org framed recent U.S. funding cuts as a “fundamental rupture” to the global #HIV response & underscored why new, real-time data on impacts to people’s lives are urgently needed.
On Feb 19, @jenkatesdc.bsky.social, @joshmich.bsky.social, @lizhamel.bsky.social and moderator @mollybrodie.bsky.social will explore recent developments in federal vaccine policy and, based on recent KFF polling, the public’s views about them.
RSVP: https://on.kff.org/406BnWR
"Trump administration to block foreign aid from those promoting abortion, DEI and gender identity"
apnews.com/article/trum...
NEW: Our latest count of the # of states that have decoupled their childhood vaccine recommendations form the federal government: it's now up to 28. A big increase from just a few months ago.
www.kff.org/state-health...
Here's our KFF tracker of the USG's global health MOUs. Will be updated as more information is made publicly available.
www.kff.org/global-healt...
NEW: Our take on HHS' changes to the federal vaccine schedule that reduce the number of routinely recommended vaccines for kids, and now make the U.S. an outlier in recommending so few. w/ @joshmich.bsky.social
www.kff.org/other-health...
Whatever one thinks about changes to the pediatric vaccine schedule, it will play out as a natural experiment on the nation’s kids. HHS says the changes will reduce distrust and increase vax rates. But they could do the opposite. We may not know until disease data are out.
ICYMI: The proposed DHS public charge rule acknowledges that the rule may lead to worse health outcomes, higher prevalence of communicable diseases, and affect state and local economies. 30 day comment period is open. www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...
UPDATE: The CDC's ACIP meeting (that was postponed) has been re-scheduled for December 4-5. Vaccine safety, and the pediatric vaccine schedule, are on the agenda. Hep-B vaccine will be a big focus.
public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-19872.p...
10 year old: "you can't understand my social dynamics because you are from the 20th century” 🤦👀
Ohio had already made changes awhile back (not related to the start of this administration, which is what we were tracking). In Ohio, you can get a flu or COVID-19 vaccine without a prescription:https://www.pharmacy.ohio.gov/documents/pubs/messages/2024-09-25%20e-news%20september%202024.pdf
26 states have moved to allow pharmacists to administer COVID-19 vaccines without an Rx (5 do so for other vaccines).
13 states require state-regulated insurers to cover COVID-19 vaccines at no cost (4 for other vaccines).
22 states rely on non-federal sources for vaccine guidelines.
NEW: We analyzed recent state actions on vaccine policy, given narrowing federal guidelines. Overall, 26 states have taken some action; of these, 23 have Democratic governors, signaling a growing red/blue divide in vaccine access. @kff.org Key findings in next post ⬇️
www.kff.org/covid-19/tra...
The pressure is increasingly falling on states to navigate recommendations and new federal rules.
Before, "in general, it didn’t matter where you lived,” said @jenkatesdc.bsky.social. “Now it does.” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Currently, private insurers, Medicare, and Medicaid require no-cost coverage of vaccines, which is connected to recommendations made by ACIP and CDC.
If these recommendations are removed, people could face out-of-pocket costs.
We explain:
With federal changes to vaccine policy & recommendations underway, here's our overview of insurance coverage requirements for vaccines by payer, as linked to ACIP/CDC. As we show, federal changes mean consumers could lose access to free vaccines.
www.kff.org/other/issue-...
Based on our analysis of the current status of PEPFAR programming, it's hard to see how the 85% could be reached. www.kff.org/global-healt...
From 6/10 @StateDept press briefing on the PEPFAR 85%: it's an estimated 85% of beneficiaries who 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 be receiving lifesaving treatment & PMTC services based on 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 of 𝘢𝘭𝘭 operational active awards.
www.state.gov/briefings/de...
Re the ACIP "purge" to "restore public trust". As many have noted, ACIP members are independent, vetted, & follow strict COI rules.
Those dismissed? Almost all are MDs & specialists in pediatrics, infectious diseases, epi, and others head primary care centers.
The Trump administration released its FY 2026 budget request on May 30. Here's our read-out on how global health programs fare. From what is known thus far, there's a more than $6 billion proposed cut (plus more in the rescission package)
www.kff.org/global-healt...
With changes in vaccine policy underway, @joshmich.bsky.social and I just published a brief on the key independent vaccine advisory bodies that, in the past, were typically consulted before most federal vaccine decisions: VRBPAC, ACIP, NVAC, and ACCV.
www.kff.org/other/issue-...
hopefully! Though w/o a specific rec, I think it is not necessarily guaranteed? Or at least could be challenged as such.
The CDC vaccine schedule is now updated; COVID-19 vaccine is no longer recommended for healthy pregnant woman. This means there will no longer be mandated insurance coverage, even if a decision were to be made by a pregnant woman and her doctor that getting vaccinated was important.
If you're interested in the status of U.S. global health programs, given the foreign aid review and funding cuts, here are our resources.
www.kff.org/tag/global-h...
MCC compacts with countries follow international treaty law, so ending these compacts is akin to breaking treaties.
www.gao.gov/assets/b-327...
Have to admit, shuttering MCC wasn't (yet) on my bingo card. MCC has been the one U.S. development agency many pointed to as having the approach and accountability mechanisms the rest of the U.S. development enterprise should emulate.
www.politico.com/news/2025/04...
“Treatment is being interrupted in Africa because of this, and…it could also create the spread of a drug-resistant virus.”
@jenkatesdc.bsky.social on our latest episode of One Thing Trump Did, about halting some AIDS relief funding around the world.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
