Immunization News and Resources for Health Care Professionals from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
The AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases has compiled a comprehensive list of immunization news articles, immunization rates, and vaccine communication tips along with additional resources on strategies to improve immunization rates. This news and resource page is updated frequently. AAP membership or subscriber login may be required to access some links.
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Immunization News Digest | Last Updated March 21, 2025 |
CDC vaccine committee meeting rescheduled for April
- The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) rescheduled its meeting for April 15-16, where it will discuss vaccine recommendations on topics such as meningococcal, influenza, and COVID-19, and provide an update on the measles outbreak.
- The February meeting was postponed to allow for public comment, and the agenda remains similar, with public participation encouraged through written and oral comments. The final details of the agenda will be made available online closer to the meeting date.
Pediatric practices urged to pre-book flu vaccines for 2025-’26 season following AAP recommendations, FDA strain selection
- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urges pediatric practices to pre-book flu vaccines for the 2025-’26 season, emphasizing annual flu vaccination for all children aged 6 months and older as the best protection against severe flu illness.
- The FDA has recommended the same flu vaccine strains for the 2025-’26 season as this year, with no preference for a specific vaccine product, provided it is age-appropriate and licensed.
- A new option for the 2025-’26 season is that FluMist will be available for at-home administration for individuals aged 2-49, though it will not be part of the Vaccines for Children program and is not recommended for patients needing documentation of vaccination.
Can vitamin A prevent or cure measles?
- Vitamin A does not prevent or cure measles, but it can be used as a treatment for children already infected to prevent complications like vitamin A deficiency, which can lead to eye damage and worsen the illness.
- While vitamin A is crucial for managing measles-related deficiency, giving it to healthy children as a preventative measure is ineffective and can be harmful in excessive amounts, potentially causing serious health issues.
- The best way to protect against measles is through vaccination, with the MMR vaccine recommended for all children, as it is highly effective in preventing the disease.
Measles outbreak could last a year, health official in Texas says
- The ongoing measles outbreak in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma has led to 321 reported cases, with the majority of patients unvaccinated, and officials expect the outbreak could last up to a year due to its widespread and highly contagious nature.
- Texas, where most of the cases have been reported, has experienced 279 outbreak-related cases, with 38 patients hospitalized, and the majority of cases are in young children and adolescents.
- Federal support, including increased testing capacity and vaccination efforts, is critical to controlling the outbreak, which has already surpassed 350 cases in the U.S. in 2024, exceeding last year’s total.
No Link Between COVID Vaccine During Pregnancy And Birth Defects, Study Says
- A new study confirms that the COVID vaccine does not increase the risk of birth defects in pregnant women, with no significant differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups in terms of birth defect rates.
- The research supports the safety of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, emphasizing that the benefits outweigh the risks, as COVID infection during pregnancy can lead to serious complications like preterm birth and stillbirth.
- Health experts continue to recommend COVID vaccination for pregnant women, as the study strengthens the case for vaccine safety during all stages of pregnancy.
3 vaccine doses cut long-COVID risk by over 60%, analysis suggests
- A study from Karolinska Institute in Sweden shows that receiving three doses of the COVID vaccine significantly reduces the risk of long COVID by over 60%, with vaccinated individuals experiencing much lower rates of persistent COVID symptoms compared to the unvaccinated.
- The research found that the risk of long COVID was notably lower for those who received two or three vaccine doses, with a 0.1% incidence rate for those fully vaccinated versus 0.4% for unvaccinated individuals.
- The protective effect likely results from the vaccine’s ability to prevent severe COVID-19, which is associated with a higher risk of developing long COVID, reinforcing the importance of vaccination for reducing long-term effects.
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Immunization Rates in the United States |
Vaccine Communication* |
Use a Strong Vaccine Recommendation and the Presumptive Format for Initiating the Vaccine Discussion
A strong presumptive recommendation from a pediatrician is the primary reason someone will get a vaccine. Pediatricians play a crucial role in immunizing children and are a trusted source for vaccine information. How you introduce the vaccine when talking with patients and families leverages this trust and may lead to more conversation. Research shows that an effective communication strategy is to presume that parents and caregivers are ready to have their kids vaccinated. For example, “Now that Laura is 12, she’s due for three vaccines today that protect against meningitis, HPV cancers and pertussis.” Or “Sam is due for two shots today.”
Addressing Common Concerns
Pediatricians are the most common source of vaccine information for parents, are the most trusted source for vaccine-safety information, and can positively influence a parent’s vaccine behavior, even among parents with concerns about vaccines. Some vaccine-related facts that pediatricians may use when discussing vaccines with parents can be found below. How those facts are communicated is also important. It is important to establish an honest dialogue, take time to listen, and solicit and welcome questions.
Common Misconceptions and Myths About Immunizations
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Claims |
Facts |
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“Natural” methods of enhancing immunity, such as contracting the disease and breastfeeding, are better than vaccinations. |
Vaccinations are the safest way to achieve immunity; having immunity the “natural way” means being sick with a potentially very serious infectious disease. Immunity from a preventive vaccine provides protection against disease when a person is exposed to it in the future. That immunity is usually similar to what is acquired from natural infection, although several doses of a vaccine may have to be administered for a child to develop an adequate immune response. Although breastfeeding has many benefits, including immunologic, it does not provide anywhere near the same level of protection from vaccine-preventable diseases as vaccines. |
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Giving multiple vaccines at the same time causes an “overload” of the immune system. |
Vaccination does not overburden a child’s immune system; the recommended vaccines use only a small portion of the immune system’s “memory.” Although the number of unique vaccines administered has risen over recent decades, the number of antigens administered has decreased because of advances in science and manufacturing. The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has concluded that there is no evidence that the immunization schedule is unsafe. |
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Vaccines are ineffective. |
Vaccines have spared millions of people the effects of devastating diseases. |
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Before the use of vaccinations, these diseases had begun to decline because of improved nutrition and hygiene. |
In the 19th and 20th centuries, some infectious diseases began to be better controlled because of improvements in sanitation, clean water, pasteurized milk, and pest control. However, vaccine-preventable diseases decreased dramatically after the vaccines for those diseases were approved and were administered to large numbers of children. |
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Vaccines cause poorly understood illnesses or disorders, such as autism, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), immune dysfunction, diabetes, neurologic disorders, allergic rhinitis, and eczema. |
These claims are false. Multiple, high-quality scientific studies have failed to substantiate any link between vaccines and these health conditions. See NAM reports. |
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Vaccines weaken the immune system. |
Vaccines actually strengthen the immune system. Vaccinated children have decreased risk of infections. Importantly, natural infections like influenza, measles, and varicella (chickenpox) can weaken the immune system, increasing the risk of other infections. |
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Giving many vaccines at the same time is untested. |
New vaccines are tested in concomitant use studies with existing vaccines that are administered on the same or overlapping schedule. These studies are performed to confirm that new vaccines do not affect the safety or effectiveness of existing vaccines administered at the same time and that existing vaccines administered at the same time do not affect the safety or effectiveness of new vaccines. |
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Vaccines can be delayed, separated, and spaced out without consequences. |
Many vaccine-preventable diseases occur in early infancy. Optimal vaccine-induced immunity may require a series of vaccines over time. Any delay in receiving age-appropriate immunization increases the risk of diseases that vaccines are administered to prevent. Spacing out vaccines may also have psychological consequences, because many more office visits will be associated with injections. |
Access additional vaccine communication information and tools: Communicating with Families and Promoting Vaccine Confidence
*Source: O’Leary ST, Opel DJ, Cataldi JR, Hackell JM; American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Infectious Diseases, Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine, Committee on Bioethics. Strategies for Improving Vaccine Communication and Uptake. Pediatrics. 2024;153(3):e2023065483
Additional Immunization Resources |
AAP Policy
- Red Book
- Immunization Information Systems
- Strategies for Improving Vaccine Communication and Uptake
- Medical Versus Nonmedical Immunization Exemptions for Child Care and School Attendance
- Influenza Immunization for All Health Care Personnel: Keep It Mandatory
AAP Professional Tools and Resources
- Administering Immunizations in Your Practice
- RSV Immunization
- Influenza Vaccination
- COVID-19 Vaccination
- HPV Vaccination
- Pneumococcal Vaccination
- Measles Vaccination
HealthyChildren.org
AAP Childhood and Adolescent Vaccine Education Series
- YouTube series featuring AAP member pediatricians answering common questions about children’s vaccinations and tips on finding correct information online.
