Statement Regarding Changes to U.S. Immunization Recommendations

On August 10, 2026, the Trump administration issued an executive order directing a reduction in the number of recommended childhood vaccines and calling for the remaining immunizations to be further separated and spaced apart.

The Nebraska Infectious Disease Society (NIDS), Nebraska Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics (NEAAP), Nebraska Chapter of the American College of Physicians (NEACP), Metro Omaha Medical Society (MOMS) and Metro Omaha Immunization Task Force (ITF) strongly oppose these broad changes to U.S. childhood immunization recommendations. These changes depart from the rigorous, evidence-based processes that have guided vaccine recommendations for decades. Bypassing established scientific review and expert guidance  for decisions of such importance unnecessarily endangers the health of Nebraska’s children and communities.

The American people deserve a healthcare guidance that is trustworthy, grounded in science, and driven by the purpose of keeping our children safe and healthy. This order meets none of those standards. Its directives are unsupported by data, devoid of scientific merit, and contradicted by decades of research and clinical experience affirming the safety and effectiveness of the current immunization schedule.

Equally concerning is the process behind it. The order was issued without transparent, publicly accountable review of the evidence and without the input of the scientific and advisory bodies that ordinarily inform immunization policy. Decisions of this consequence cannot be made behind closed doors and still command public trust.

We must also acknowledge current developments.

Measles was declared eradicated in the United States in 2000. Now, we are again facing outbreaks of this highly contagious and vaccine-preventable disease, which can cause serious complications. This situation warns how quickly we can lose the progress achieved over years by healthcare professionals, parents, and communities.

Hepatitis B provides another example. While it can be transmitted from mother to infant at birth, this is not the only route of infection for infants and children. About 90% of infants infected with hepatitis B develop chronic infection, placing them at lifelong risk for serious liver disease, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Universal infant hepatitis B vaccination offers crucial protection against these preventable outcomes.

These diseases are not theoretical. We have witnessed their impact and know how to prevent them. An order that contradicts the recommendations of every major medical society will do nothing but sow confusion and fear where none need exist. It threatens to deepen the burden of ongoing outbreaks at precisely the moment we can least afford it.

When making medical decisions on behalf of their children, parents should talk with the child's pediatrician or another reliable healthcare professional if they have questions or concerns. These discussions are important, especially when a child has medical circumstances that must be considered. However, the discussions should begin with recommendations based on the best current scientific evidence.

Parents should be able to trust their pediatrician for clear, evidence-based guidance on protecting their child. Similarly, physicians should rely on national immunization recommendations that have undergone thorough scientific review. Individual medical judgment and strong, evidence-based vaccine recommendations are not mutually exclusive.

This should not be a political issue. Infectious diseases do not consider political affiliation or beliefs. The science remains constant regardless of leadership. Decisions about children's health must be based on the best available evidence and careful review by qualified medical and public health experts.

Our organizations support a vaccine recommendation process that is transparent, scientifically rigorous, and grounded in the best available evidence. We strongly urge federal leaders to preserve the essential role of independent medical and scientific experts and to ensure that childhood immunization recommendations continue to undergo the established processes of scientific review, evidence evaluation, and expert deliberation that have long guided U.S. vaccine policy.

Jointly issued by:

Nebraska Infectious Diseases Society (NIDS)

Nebraska Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics (NEAAP)

Metro Omaha Medical Society (MOMS)

Nebraska Chapter of the American College of Physicians (NEACP)

Metro Omaha Immunization Task Force (ITF)