CDC and AAP Disagree on 2026 Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule

A significant divergence has emerged between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) regarding the 2026 child and adolescent immunization schedule. The CDC's revised schedule, issued in January 2026, moved non-consensus vaccines to risk-based or shared clinical decision-making categories and raised concerns about vaccine safety research. The AAP has rejected these changes, endorsing the harmonized schedule from 2025, leading to legal challenges and a federal court suspending the 2026 schedule.