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Top Stories
Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources
Featured Resources Notable Publications
Upcoming Events
Top Stories
CDC data show vaccination coverage drops and exemptions rise (again) among kindergarteners for the 2024–25 school year
On July 31, CDC released U.S. data on vaccination coverage and exemptions from the 2024–25 school year. Vaccination coverage among kindergartners declined for all reported vaccines from the year before, from 92.1% for DTaP to 92.5% for MMR and polio vaccine. These national numbers mask wide variability of coverage rates. For example: In Idaho, 21.5% of kindergarten students lacked documentation of at least two doses of MMR, while just 1.8% lacked 2-dose documentation in Connecticut. Coverage for MMR, DTaP, polio vaccine, and varicella vaccine decreased in more than half of states. Nationwide, about 286,000 kindergartners had no documentation of completing the MMR series.  Related Links
All pending ACIP recommendations from June meeting are now official: clesrovimab for RSV prevention and universal seasonal influenza vaccination On August 4, the CDC Director accepted the June 25–26 ACIP recommendation that the RSV preventive antibody clesrovimab (Enflonsia, Merck) be added as an option for protection of infants younger than age 8 months born during or entering their first RSV season. There is no preference between nirsevimab (Beyfortus, Sanofi) and clesrovimab for eligible infants. Only nirsevimab is licensed and recommended for older infants and toddlers at high risk who are entering their second RSV season. This is now an official CDC recommendation. On August 4, CDC updated the ACIP Recommendations web page to show that on July 22, the HHS Secretary accepted the June ACIP recommendation for routine annual influenza vaccination of all people age 6 months and older who do not have contraindications. This notice was added to the Secretary’s previously listed July 22 acceptance of the ACIP recommendation to use 2025–26 seasonal influenza vaccines that do not contain thimerosal as a preservative.
All recommendations from the June 25–26 ACIP meeting have now been accepted. Immunize.org is in the process of updating its materials to reflect these new official recommendations. Related Links
Immunize.org issues updated standing orders template for RSV vaccination of older adults to include high-risk adults age 50 through 74 years Immunize.org updated its Standing Orders for Administering Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine (RSV) to Adults Age 50 Years and Older template to reflect the recommendation, adopted in June 2025, expanding the vaccination recommendation for adults at high risk from age 60 through 74 to age 50 through 74. The optimal time to be vaccinated begins in August before the typical fall RSV season begins, although vaccination may occur at any time of year, if needed. At this time, revaccination of previously vaccinated people is not recommended. Meaningful RSV protection lasts at least 2 years, and possibly longer. All unvaccinated adults age 75 years or older are also recommended to receive an RSV vaccine. All eligible adults may receive any one of the three licensed vaccines:
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Immunize.org updates “Standing Orders for Administering Recombinant Zoster Vaccine (Shingrix) to Adults” template to include manufacturer-filled syringe option
Immunize.org updated its Standing Orders for Administering Recombinant Zoster Vaccine (Shingrix) to Adults template to include availability of new Shingrix (GSK) packaging. Now, in addition to the 2-vial package that requires reconstitution, there is a manufacturer-filled syringe option that does not require reconstitution.
Immunize.org posted Influenza Vaccine Products for the 2025–2026 Influenza Season, our popular 1-page reference document, to list all products available for the 2025–26 influenza season. A new note addresses the ACIP recommendation to use 2025–26 seasonal influenza vaccine packages that do not contain thimerosal as a preservative; availability of preservative-containing multidose vials is expected to vary by manufacturer. Related Links
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Immunize.org updates "Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools"
Immunize.org published the August 7 version of its Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools. This resource checklist is updated when significant changes are made to COVID-19 vaccine resources.
Several CDC resources were removed from the checklist (e.g., the 2024–25 recommended COVID-19 immunization schedule and vaccine At-a-Glance sheets) because CDC removed them from its website. Resources for the 2025–26 season, including new Immunize.org standing orders templates for 2025–2026 Formula COVID-19 vaccines, will be added as they become available.
The resource checklist is updated when significant new COVID-19 vaccine resources are released. The date of the current version of the checklist appears within the footer. All who offer COVID-19 vaccination should review reference materials in use and replace as needed with the most current versions.
Watch CDC’s COCA webinar “Clinician Update on Measles Cases and Outbreaks in the United States” on August 14 at 2:00 p.m. (ET); CE credit offered CDC will host a Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) call titled Clinician Update on Measles Cases and Outbreaks in the United States at 2:00 p.m. (ET) on August 14. Presenters will discuss the current epidemiology of measles in the United States and address common clinical questions about preventing, identifying, and testing for measles. Presenters will also summarize MMR vaccination recommendations and considerations. As of August 6, CDC reported 1,356 confirmed measles cases in 2025 in 40 states, including the first cases reported this year in Wisconsin.
Larry K. Pickering, MD, FAAP, who served as executive secretary of the ACIP from 2005 to 2015, died at age 81 on July 1. Immunize.org’s Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll recognizes 590 institutions, including one new honoree
Immunize.org is pleased to welcome one new institution into its Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Roll, which now recognizes 590 honorees. The new birthing institution appears below with its reported hepatitis B birth dose coverage rates in parentheses.
Please join us in recognizing these honorees with sustained excellence that qualify for an additional year:
The Honor Roll includes birthing institutions from 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, and U.S. military hospitals overseas. The Honor Roll is a key part of Immunize.org’s initiative urging the nation’s hospitals to Give Birth to the End of Hep B. Hospitals and birthing centers are recognized for attaining high coverage for hepatitis B vaccine at birth and meeting additional criteria. The How to Apply web page provides information on the criteria for inclusion in the Hepatitis B Birth Dose Honor Role and the application form.
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Which pneumococcal vaccine is due for an 80-year-old who received a dose of PPSV23 at 65? Watch the 2-minute answer, part of the Ask the Experts Video Series on YouTube. This week, our featured episode from the Ask the Experts Video Series addresses the current pneumococcal vaccination options for an 80-year-old who received a dose of PPSV23 at age 65. The video briefly explains the reasoning behind giving one dose of PCV20 or one dose of PCV21, but no additional dose of PPSV23. Like, follow, and share Immunize.org’s social media accounts and encourage colleagues and others interested in vaccination to do likewise.
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
Immunize.org Website and Clinical Resources
Our newest website, Let’sGetRealAboutVaccines.org, is a trustworthy, parent-friendly platform that delivers factual vaccine guidance. It equips both families and providers with tools to advocate for childhood vaccination confidently. The main page summarizes the protection childhood vaccines offer and provides links to additional information. Five additional pages are available from this page and from the menu:
We hope you find this section of LetsGetRealAboutVaccines.org useful. Please share these links with anyone looking for credible, unbiased information about childhood vaccines. IZ Express regularly provides readers with information about Immunize.org’s new and updated educational materials for healthcare professionals and handouts for patients. All Immunize.org materials are free to distribute. Immunize.org Materials for Clinicians Standing Orders Templates for Administering: Materials Supporting Immunization Services:
Immunize.org Webinars: State Immunization Requirements, Exemptions, and Related Websites:
Featured Resources
Migration Health Initiative offers hepatitis B resources for those serving sub-Saharan African and Asian immigrant communities in the United States
Mitigation Health Initiative (MHI), part of the Task Force for Global Health, offers Protect Your Family, a hepatitis B education campaign for organizations serving sub-Saharan African and Asian immigrant communities in the United States. Hepatitis B is common all over the world, but some countries in Africa and Asia have higher incidence. This campaign offers education materials that are community-informed, customizable, and culturally validated. These free materials, including a Hepatitis B Dialogue Guide, were created with input from community leaders and are offered in print, digital, audio, and video formats; are customizable; and are available in 15 languages.  View the campaign resources. To have print materials from this campaign shipped to you or your organization at no cost, please complete this form. MHI will offer a virtual webinar that introduces the campaign, titled Practical Approaches to Adult-Dose Hepatitis B Vaccine Promotion in Newcomer Communities, at 1:00 p.m. (ET) on August 20. See the upcoming event story below for details. Register for the webinar. Back to top
August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM). This annual observance highlights the importance of protecting people of all ages against vaccine-preventable diseases through on-time vaccination.
Notable Publications
“Emergency Department Survey of Vaccination Knowledge, Vaccination Coverage, and Willingness to Receive Vaccines in an Emergency Department Among Underserved Populations—Eight U.S. Cities, April–December, 2024” published in MMWR
CDC published Emergency Department Survey of Vaccination Knowledge, Vaccination Coverage, and Willingness to Receive Vaccines in an Emergency Department Among Underserved Populations — Eight U.S. Cities, April–December, 2024 on August 7 in MMWR. A portion of the summary appears below. U.S. adult vaccination coverage data are limited, especially among populations lacking primary health care access. . . . In a multicenter emergency department (ED) survey of vaccine knowledge, self-reported vaccination status, and willingness to receive vaccines if offered in an ED, 49.4% of non–critically ill adult participants had not heard of at least one CDC-recommended vaccine, and 85.9% had missed one or more. Overall, 46.4% of participants who were not up to date with recommended vaccines said they would accept one or more missing vaccines if offered during their ED visit; 86.7% of those participants said they would accept all missing vaccines. . . . EDs could be explored as settings to offer vaccination screening, recommendations, counseling, and referrals to increase vaccination coverage among underserved populations.
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In August 2025, the Journal of Adolescent Health published an open-access supplemental issue on the theme of adolescent well visits and vaccination. Titles of the articles in this supplement include:
As part of a US survey of parents/guardians of children aged 9–10 years, we elicited preferences across 4 early adolescent vaccination schedule scenarios . . . Most parents/guardians preferred the current schedule (52.1%) and most chose early initiation of HPV vaccination (i.e., HPV at age 9, second dose at age 10, with tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis and meningococcal ACWY at age 11) as least preferred (53.9%). Preferences varied significantly by the child’s current HPV vaccination status and by the intent to vaccinate. . . . Given the variability in preferences, expanding the targeted ages for routine HPV vaccination to 9–12 years may ensure the broadest acceptance of HPV vaccination as part of the early adolescent schedule. In its July 28 issue, JAMA published Safety of JN.1-Updated mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines. The reassuring results of this very large Danish study found no significant increases in the risk of 29 different plausible adverse events in the 4 weeks after vaccination. A portion of the abstract appears below: No statistically significant increases in the rate of hospital contacts for any of 29 adverse events were observed during the 28-day risk period after receipt of a [2024–25] JN.1-containing mRNA vaccine compared with reference period rates (Figure). For example, the incidence rate ratio was 0.84 . . . for ischemic cardiac events, 0.92 . . . for intracranial bleeding, and 1.12 . . . for myocarditis. . . . In this nationwide cohort study [from Denmark], no increased risk of 29 adverse events was observed after vaccination with the updated COVID-19 mRNA vaccine containing the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron JN.1 lineage in approximately 1 million adults. Limitations include that residual confounding and health care use bias cannot be excluded even with the use of within-individual comparisons. Upcoming Events
Virtual: North Dakota State University Center for Immunization Research and Education hosts webinar titled “The Role of Vaccines in Eradicating and Eliminating Diseases” on August 18 at 1:00 p.m. (ET); CE credit offered
The North Dakota State University Center for Immunization Research and Education will host a webinar titled The Role of Vaccines in Eradicating and Eliminating Diseases, from 1:00 p.m. (ET) on August 18. The speaker will be Walter Orenstein, MD, professor emeritus at Emory University. Virtual: Migration Health Initiative offers webinar titled “Practical Approaches to Adult-Dose Hepatitis B Vaccine Promotion in Newcomer Communities” on August 20 at 1:00 p.m. (ET)
Mitigation Health Initiative (MHI), part of the Task Force for Global Health, offers a virtual webinar titled Practical Approaches to Adult-Dose Hepatitis B Vaccine Promotion in Newcomer Communities at 1:00 p.m. (ET) on August 20. Attendees will learn about practical, culturally responsive tools to help build trust, engage in meaningful conversations, and support informed decision-making around hepatitis B screening and vaccination. Register for Immunize.org Website Office Hours. Ask questions and learn about the VIS web section on September 10 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or September 11 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). Recorded sessions archived.
To learn simple tips and tricks for using our website efficiently, please register for our next set of Website Office Hours on Wednesday, September 10, at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or Thursday, September 11, at 12:00 p.m. (ET). The same content will be covered in both sessions. Register today for Immunize.org Website Office Hours (content is the same for both): The archive of previous Website Office Hours content is posted at Immunize.org’s "Webinars & Videos" page. Mark your calendar for future Immunize.org Website Office Hours. |
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