AAP Releases 2026 Child Vaccination Schedule

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released its 2026 childhood and adolescent immunization schedule, which continues to recommend routine immunization for protection against 18 diseases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) schedule released in early January removed routine recommendations for hepatitis A and B, COVID-19, rotavirus, flu and meningococcal disease and downgrades them to immunizations recommended for high-risk groups and/or shared clinical decision-making. It also moved respiratory syncytial virus immunization to the high-risk group, although it still recommends it for all infants under 8 months whose mother did not get vaccinated during pregnancy.

AAP leaders called the CDC’s removal of universal recommendations “dangerous and unnecessary” and is challenging the changes in court. The AAP’s 2026 schedule keeps the routine recommendations intact.

In other differences, the AAP recommends two doses of HPV vaccine starting at ages 9-12 years while the CDC recommends one dose at 11-12 years.

The AAP’s 2026 schedule has been endorsed by 12 medical and health organizations representing more than 1 million physicians, pharmacists and other pediatric health care professionals. They include the American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Nurse Midwives, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Medical Association, American Pharmacists Association, Council of Medical Specialty Societies, Infectious Diseases Society of America, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Medical Association, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, Pediatric Pharmacy Association and Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.

You can read AAP’s full new release here.