IZ Express

Issue 1888: August 19, 2026

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Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources 
 
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Notable Publications
 
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Top Stories
Immunize.org issues statement on August 10 Presidential Order on childhood immunization

The Presidential Executive Order signed on August 10 encourages substantial changes to the childhood immunization schedule, state school immunization requirements, vaccine products, and longstanding best practices in immunization. The changes it directs are not based in sound science and would be harmful to children, families, and society if put into practice. Its mere existence creates confusion and concern. The good news is that it has no direct effect on vaccination practice, payment, or state requirements, so no change to vaccination practices are necessary in response to it at this time.

For more than three decades, Immunize.org has supported healthcare professionals with clinical resources to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based immunization recommendations. Until recently, these recommendations have come from the CDC and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Since mid-2025, changes to guidance from ACIP and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have deviated, in some cases, from established, evidence-based guidance. Immunize.org shares information on these changes, noting the lack of evidence (or evidence of potential harms). It is our role to help vaccination providers understand what HHS is recommending and how it affects them, even if we do not endorse it.

This year, respected major medical societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) have taken on the responsibility of developing and updating vaccination recommendations and schedules based on sound science, with technical support and rigorous evaluation of the published scientific literature provided by the Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP) and the American Medical Association (AMA).

Immunize.org’s resources have been known for their consistent alignment with the guidance of the respected career-service experts at CDC. Where published CDC guidance is still valid, Immunize.org will continue to use and reference it. However, when necessary, Immunize.org will base its work on scientifically sound recommendations of medical societies. In all cases, we will indicate the source of guidance clearly.

Forthcoming standing orders templates and clinical resources for seasonal respiratory viruses (influenza, COVID-19, RSV) will be based upon the recommendations of AAP, AAFP, ACOG, and IDSA. We will publish our updated resources as soon as feasible following publication of these societies’ recommendations in early September.
 
Immunize.org is committed to our role as a trustworthy source of sound, evidence-based support for vaccination providers in every state and setting.

View the official statement from Immunize.org.

The related statements from other major medical societies appear in the list below.

Related Links

American Academy of Pediatrics publishes recommendations for prevention and control of influenza in children for the 2026–27 season 

On August 10, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published ahead of print Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2026–2027: Policy Statement and an accompanying Technical Report in Pediatrics. The documents are publicly available and provide recommendations for use of influenza vaccines and antiviral medications for children during the 2026–27 influenza season.

AAP continues to recommend annual influenza vaccination for all children age 6 months and older who have no medical contraindication.

Any age-appropriate influenza vaccine may be used. AAP continues to advise that age-appropriate influenza vaccine products packaged in multidose vials containing thimerosal as a preservative are an acceptable option for any child. The number of recommended doses is unchanged this season and depends on the child's age and influenza vaccination history. Unlike adults, who should generally avoid early vaccination in July and August, children may be vaccinated as soon as the vaccine becomes available, ideally by the end of October.

This season, AAP added detailed guidance for immunocompromised children, aligning its recommendations with evidence-based guidance from other medical organizations.

The 2025–26 season was severe with a total of 190 influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported, and only 49.4% of children age 6 months through 17 years were vaccinated. Historically, about 85% of children who died of influenza were not vaccinated.

Related Links

Immunize.org updates 2026–27 season "Standing Orders for Administering Influenza Vaccine to Children and Teens" based on American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations

Immunize.org published its Standing Orders for Administering Influenza Vaccine to Children and Teens for the 2026–27 season based on the newly published recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). There are no substantial changes to the basic recommendation that all children age 6 months and older should be vaccinated against influenza annually.

Updates include: 
  • AAP recommends offering influenza vaccine to all children as soon as it becomes available, especially those who require two doses
  • Due to the new detailed AAP guidance on timing and dosing of influenza vaccination for children with specific causes of moderate or severe immunocompromise, the standing order template recommends referral of these patients for clinical evaluation of timing, product, and dose, according to the 2026–27 AAP recommendations
  • The template dose table notes that for children age 3–17 years in the first year after hematopoietic cell transplant, two doses of high-dose IIV are recommended (off-label use)
  • The presence of thimerosal in a vaccine continues to be listed as neither a contraindication nor a precaution to the use of influenza vaccine unless the recipient had a serious systemic or anaphylactic reaction to thimerosal
  • Because gelatin is specified in the AAP recommendations as an LAIV component, a previous serious allergic (anaphylactic) reaction to it is noted as a contraindication to LAIV

Immunize.org will publish its updated standing orders template for adult influenza vaccination (and other updated influenza vaccination resources) as soon as feasible following publication of the recommendations of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) in early September. Additional updates to seasonal vaccine standing orders templates, including RSV and COVID-19, will also follow publication of relevant medical society recommendations in September.

Related Links

Immunize.org posts popular 1-page reference, “Influenza Vaccine Products for the 2026–2027 Influenza Season” 

Immunize.org published its updated Influenza Vaccine Products for the 2026–2027 Influenza Season, our popular 1-page reference document, listing all available products, presentations, ages, and billing codes. The resource was updated to include mFlusiva (mRNA influenza vaccine, Moderna), licensed by FDA on August 5, 2026, as a vaccine option for recipients age 50 years and older. Afluria (a standard egg-based inactivated vaccine) was removed because it is not available this season. And footnotes were updated to reflect the current influenza season. 

Related Links

Immunize.org updates 1-page reference “Administering Vaccines: Dose, Route, Site, and Needle Size” and the version focused on vaccines for adults 

Immunize.org recently updated two 1-page clinical resources used as at-a-glance references for the dose, route, site, and needle sizes needed to administer licensed vaccines (not including travel vaccines). 

  • Both documents were revised to include mFlusiva (mRNA influenza vaccine, Moderna), which was licensed by FDA on August 5, 2026.
  • Administering Vaccines: Dose, Route, Site, and Needle Size was revised to remove dengue vaccine (Dengvaxia is no longer produced and all remaining product expires in August) and to add clesrovimab RSV preventive antibody (Enflonsia, Merck). Influenza vaccine listings were simplified and organized to indicate that only one product (Fluzone, Sanofi) has a dose that changes based on the age of the recipient (either 0.25 mL or 0.5 mL at age 6 months through 35 months).
  • Administering Vaccines to Adults: Dose, Route, Site, and Needle Size was revised to simplify organization of the influenza vaccine product options.
  

Related Links

Measles 2026: 2,566 confirmed measles cases in 45 states and DC
CDC reported, as of August 13, 2026:
  • 101 new measles cases in the previous week, reaching 2,566 confirmed measles cases for 2026, the second week in a row with about 100 new cases
  • 45 states, New York City, and the District of Columbia reported measles cases in 2026
  • Pennsylvania’s outbreak centered in Lancaster County continues to grow rapidly, with 61 new cases in the past week, to a total of 296
  • Ohio’s case count jumped by more than 50% in a week, from 45 to 64 cases
As a reminder, precise numbers of cases may vary slightly by reporting source and timing of updates.

Related Links
Immunize.org's Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll for healthcare worker vaccination requirements welcomes a new facility 

Immunize.org's Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll recognizes facilities that take a stand for patient safety by implementing policies requiring vaccination for healthcare personnel. Immunize.org welcomes North Country Hospital, Newport, Vermont, to our honor roll. 



Eligibility
  • Eligible organizations: hospitals, long-term care facilities, medical practices, pharmacies, professional organizations, health departments, and other government entities
  • Requirements:
    • Your policy must require influenza vaccination for all staff
    • The application must describe measures to prevent transmission of influenza from unvaccinated personnel to patients (e.g., masking for the entire shift)
Related Links
"What is Meant by 'Simultaneous' Vaccination When Giving Live Vaccines?” New in the Ask the Experts Video Series on YouTube. 

Our newest video in the Ask the Experts Video Series is titled What is Meant by “Simultaneous" Vaccination When Giving Live Vaccines? The video explains that live virus vaccines given by injection or nasal spray should either be given on the same day or spaced at least 4 weeks apart to avoid a possibility that the immune response to the second live vaccine could be diminished.

The 1-minute video is available on our YouTube channel, along with our full collection of quick video answers to popular Ask the Experts questions.



Like, follow, and share Immunize.org’s social media accounts and encourage colleagues and others interested in vaccination to do likewise.

Related Link
Vaccines in the news

These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.

Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources
Recap: Immunize.org updates its patient handout, “Vaccinations Needed During Pregnancy”

Immunize.org updated its handout for parents, Vaccinations Needed During Pregnancy. This 1-page document describes the vaccines recommended during pregnancy. Changes include the addition of PCV21 and MenABCWY vaccines and updated language consistent with recommendations of CDC (as of early 2025) and the 2026 schedule published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

Featured Resources
Immunize Kansas Coalition releases new RSV education modules and supporting resources

Immunize Kansas Coalition (IKC) recently launched three interactive modules, with accompanying handouts, focused on preventing RSV disease in infants and adults. Available on IKC’s education modules web page, they are designed for healthcare professionals (HCPs) or parents of infants. Those for HCPs offer continuing education credit. The modules were created in partnership with Immunize.org’s Sharon Humiston, MD, FAAP.

  • Preventing Severe RSV Disease in Adults (for HCPs): This module reviews the burden of RSV disease among adults, current vaccination recommendations, and strategies for identifying eligible patients and communicating the value of RSV vaccination. It features a patient handout highlighting how RSV vaccination reduces a person’s risk of hospitalization by 75% and protects other vulnerable people.
  • Preventing Severe RSV in Infants (for HCPs): This module dives into the importance of preventing severe RSV disease in infants through use of maternal RSV vaccination or preventive antibodies. Learners explore recommendations and common administrative challenges, identify technical errors to avoid, and review practical resources to help answer questions from both clinicians and parents.
  • Preventing RSV Disease in Your Infant (For parents/caregivers): This module explains why preventing RSV in infants matters and introduces tools to reduce a baby’s risk of severe disease, including vaccination during pregnancy and antibody protection for eligible infants. The module includes a parent-friendly handout outlining the risk of RSV and prevention options.

It’s National Immunization Awareness Month! Use AIRA’s toolkit to promote the importance of immunization and immunization registries.

To observe National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), the American Immunization Registry Association (AIRA) developed a toolkit with ready-to-use graphics and social media messages to help you promote NIAM and highlight the critical role of immunizations and immunization information systems (IIS) in keeping our communities healthy. Use these resources to create your own posts or share AIRA’s NIAM content using the hashtags: #AIRA, #NIAM, #IIS, and #VaccinesSaveLives.



View the toolkit.

CHOP’s Vaccine Education Center launches new on-the-go resources in English and Spanish

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's (CHOP) Vaccine Education Center (VEC) moved its Vaccines on the Go mobile app information into updated, digitally accessible resources. The contents from its mobile app are now available on the Parents PACK website in both English and Spanish. The mobile app is removed from app stores and will no longer be updated. 

Visit Vaccines on the Go.

VEC also created a suite of On-the-Go Info Sheets: Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, single-sided PDFs for each disease and vaccine, available in English and Spanish. The sheets can be photocopied for sharing or ordered from the VEC's ordering pages. VEC offers QR code pages in English and Spanish that link to each PDF.



Public Health Communications Collaborative offers “Understanding the Childhood Immunization Schedule” resource for families, with ready-to-post graphics

The Public Health Communications Collaborative (PHCC) developed Understanding the Childhood Immunization Schedule, a new resource based on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended immunization schedule. Public health communicators can share this with parents and caregivers to give clear answers to some common questions.



Additionally, PHCC offers ready-to-post graphics to share information about why and when childhood immunizations are given and how they help children thrive. 

Mount Sinai Parenting Center and Lantern offer texted weekly parenting tips, including vaccination, to healthcare providers

The Lantern text-messaging platform and Mount Sinai Parenting Center teamed up to offer pediatric healthcare providers tips by text message at no charge (other than standard text message rates). Each week, one evidence-based parenting tip is sent to the enrolled clinician’s smartphone. The tips include vaccination, sometimes with resources from Immunize.org. These brief, high-yield educational nuggets are constructed to fit into the flow of a busy clinician’s day.

To sign up, text HCP to 274 448 or visit www.mylantern.org/hcp.

Explore the www.Give2MenACWY.org website to increase coverage for the MenACWY booster and other adolescent vaccinations

Immunize.org's www.Give2MenACWY.org website promotes the importance of adolescent vaccination, including the recommended MenACWY vaccine booster dose at age 16. Many teens are behind on vaccines, so vaccine outreach is more important than ever.

If you are looking for tools to explain meningococcal vaccine recommendations and assist in improving adolescent coverage for all recommended vaccines, view this site. Check out the many helpful tools from Immunize.org, CDC, and other organizations.

  

The website is divided into five easy-to-access sections:

The site also categorizes materials according to whether they are primarily of interest to providers, to adolescents, or to parents.

Visit Give2MenACWY.org and enjoy browsing (and deploying) its bountiful resources.

Related Links 

Notable Publications
The American College of Cardiology’s adult immunization guidance published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology 

In its August 5 issue, Journal of the American College of Cardiology published Adult Immunizations as Part of Cardiovascular Care: 2026 ACC Concise Clinical Guidance: A Report of the American College of Cardiology [ACC] Solution Set Oversight Committee. Vaccines are essential tools proven to reduce the risk of serious cardiac events that can result from vaccine-preventable diseases, especially in people with preexisting heart disease. A portion of the preface appears below. 

Concise Clinical Guidance (CCG) documents are a key component of solution sets. Highly focused and limited in scope, CCGs provide recommendations where none currently exist and/or outline actions required for evidence to be implemented in practice for specific patient populations. CCGs aim to illustrate clinical decision-making processes using tools (ie, figures, tables, and checklists) and are limited in scope focusing on patient populations that share certain characteristics, such as conditions, subtypes, or lines of therapy.

Appendix 3 of the ACC document includes two clinical tools. The first is an infographic about vaccines needed by cardiology patients. The second suggests communication approaches to help make strong vaccine recommendations.

  

Upcoming Events
Virtual: NFID hosts webinar titled “Back to School: Childhood and Adolescent Immunization” on August 25 at 2:00 p.m. (ET); CME credit offered

NFID will host a webinar titled Back to School: Childhood and Adolescent Immunization at 2:00 p.m. (ET) on August 25. The panel includes NFID director Audrey M. Stevenson, PhD, MPH; Matthew M. Zahn, MD, pediatric infectious disease physician, Rady Children’s Health; and Lori K. Handy, MD, MSCE, associate director of the Vaccine Education Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The speakers will discuss immunization recommendations for children and adolescents in preparation for the upcoming school year, review current recommendations, and share effective communication approaches to help improve immunization rates.

CME credit is available. There is no fee to participate in this activity, but preregistration is required.

Register for the webinar.

NFID hosts monthly webinars to increase awareness of the importance of infectious disease prevention and treatment. CME, CNE, and CPE credits are available for select recordings. View archived NFID webinars.

Virtual: Families USA, Vaccinate Your Family, Infectious Disease Prevention Network, and Southern Alliance for Public Health Leadership host webinar titled “Boosting Vaccine Access: Tools and Strategies for Advocates” on August 26 at 3:00 p.m. (ET)  

Families USA with Vaccinate Your Family, Infectious Disease Prevention Network, and Southern Alliance for Public Health Leadership will host a webinar titled Boosting Vaccine Access: Tools and Strategies for Advocates at 3:00 p.m. (ET) on August 26. There is a unique opportunity at this moment for advocates to protect vaccine access at the state and local level. This webinar will review Families USA's new vaccine advocacy toolkit, offering advocates tangible steps to protect vaccine access in their communities. During the webinar, experts will discuss vaccine policy at state and local levels, and a storyteller will share why vaccines are important to her. 

Register for the webinar. 

For more upcoming events, visit our Calendar of Events.

About IZ Express

IZ Express is supported in part by Grant No. NH23IP922654 from CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Its contents are solely the responsibility of Immunize.org and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC.

IZ Express Disclaimer
ISSN 2771-8085

Editorial Information

  • Editor-in-Chief
    Kelly L. Moore, MD, MPH
  • Managing Editor
    John D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD
  • Associate Editor
    Sharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH
  • Writer/Publication Coordinator
    Taryn Chapman, MS
    Courtnay Londo, MA
  • Style and Copy Editor
    Marian Deegan, JD
  • Web Edition Managers
    Arkady Shakhnovich
    Jermaine Royes
  • Technical Reviewer
    Kayla Ohlde

This page was updated on .

Our Affiliated Sites

For the Public: VaccineInformation.org
For Coalitions: ImmunizationCoalitions.org
Let's Get Real
Information about pediatric vaccines for parents and providers.
65+ Flu Defense
Protect vulnerable, older adult patients from influenza.
Give2MenACWY.org
Improve protection from meningococcal serogroups ACWY.
NAIIS
Home of the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit.