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September 9, 2026
Quarterly Article
Sara Rosenbaum
Sep 9, 2026
Back to The Milbank Quarterly
Policy Points:
Context: Beginning in 2025, longstanding opponents of vaccines have held the highest positions of federal public health policy powers.
Methods: Using these powers, high ranking officials have sought to disrupt vaccine coverage and delivery and sow public mistrust in vaccine safety and efficacy.
Findings: The results of their efforts have been confusion and declining levels of childhood immunization. As of summer 2026, a federal court has enjoined efforts to degrade the childhood vaccine schedule and the public health expertise of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, whose recommendations lie at the heart of US vaccine policy.
Conclusion: As the nation’s most important regulators of public health practice, states play a critical role in countering these efforts and protecting vaccine accessibility and acceptance.
