The Vaccine Intelligence Report: September 16-22

The Vaccine Intelligence Report

September 16-22, 2026

The Vaccine Intelligence Report—brought to you by Vaccinate Your Family—provides clear, fact-based updates on vaccine policy, research, and public health each week. This report is part of Viral Truths, a resource designed to cut through the noise, offering concise information to help navigate the evolving immunization landscape. 

THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE:

  • During their Senate hearings, HHS Deputy Secretary nominee Chris Klomp and Surgeon General nominee Dr. Nicole Saphier faced questions on vaccines and public health policy, with both appearing on track for confirmation ahead of scheduled votes this week
  • President Trump proposed dividing certain vaccines into smaller doses administered over time, as Kennedy highlighted ongoing vaccine policy changes at a Children’s Health Defense conference—signaling that further changes to childhood vaccine policy may be ahead
  • Updated Covid vaccines remain unavailable through the Vaccines for Children program more than three weeks after FDA approval, creating an access gap for children who rely on the federal program
  • Rhode Island joined a growing group of states issuing independent respiratory-season vaccine guidance as federal immunization policy continues to evolve
  • A Connecticut court dismissed the final remaining challenge to the state’s law eliminating religious exemptions from school immunization requirements, leaving the policy in place
  • Pennsylvania is pressing CDC to recognize four measles-associated deaths identified by the state as its outbreak continues to grow, nearing 800 cases
  • The U.S. has reported more than 3,500 measles cases this year, Covid activity remains elevated and increasing nationally, and seasonal flu activity remains low

NEED TO KNOW

Senators Press HHS, Surgeon General Nominees on Vaccines and Scientific Independence

  • Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy Secretary nominee Chris Klomp appeared before the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday (Sep. 15) and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Wednesday (Sep. 16), while Surgeon General nominee Dr. Nicole Saphier testified before the HELP Committee on Wednesday.
  • Saphier offered support for childhood vaccination, telling senators that immunizations save lives and saying she does not believe childhood vaccines cause autism. She also rejected the idea that the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is lethal, an unsubstantiated claim made by President Trump in August.
    • Saphier called the MMR vaccine “our greatest tool for combating measles,” but declined to directly answer a question from HELP Chair Senator Dr. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on whether a parent should vaccinate their child with MMR.
    • She also supported universal hepatitis B (HepB) vaccination at birth, saying it is the “most tried and true way” to prevent infection and related illness in the U.S.
      • Saphier had previously questioned the universal birth-dose recommendation on her podcast.
    • Saphier said she would follow the law if asked to carry out an unlawful directive and pledged to work to restore public trust if confirmed.
  • During his Senate Finance Committee hearing, Klomp emphasized that the measles vaccine is effective when pressed on how he would approach vaccine policy as HHS Deputy Secretary, saying his role would include clear communication and rebuilding trust.
    • Notably, Klomp defended the Administration’s executive order calling for the combined MMR vaccine to be separated into three shots, saying it would provide an alternative for parents.
    • Senators also pressed Klomp on scientific independence at HHS. Asked whether he would remove staff who advance vaccine policies that contradict established science, Klomp said he would “fire anyone who does not follow the scientific method,” and called for appropriate datasets, peer review, and publication of results regardless of the findings.
  • Both nominees appear on track for confirmation. The Senate HELP Committee is scheduled to vote on Saphier’s nomination on Thursday (Sep. 24), the same day a Senate Finance Committee vote is scheduled for Klomp.

Trump, Kennedy Signal Continued Push to Reshape Childhood Vaccine Policy

  • The Administration signaled last week that changes to federal childhood vaccine policy remain a priority, with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. highlighting vaccine policy actions at a Children’s Health Defense (CHD) conference Thursday (Sep. 17), followed by Trump proposing additional changes to childhood vaccine dosing the next day.
  • Kennedy delivered the keynote address Thursday (Sep. 17) at a CHD conference—his first appearance at one of the organization’s conferences since becoming Secretary—and told attendees they had a “strong and steadfast friend in the White House.”
    • Kennedy highlighted Administration changes to childhood vaccine recommendations and federal vaccine advisory processes and discussed continued scrutiny of vaccine safety, while repeating claims suggesting links between vaccines and autism and other chronic conditions that are not supported by established evidence.
    • For more on the evidence related to vaccines and chronic health conditions, see our previous Reality Check.
  • Trump said Friday (Sep. 18) that his Administration will push vaccine manufacturers to divide certain childhood vaccines into five smaller doses administered at six-month intervals, though he did not specify which vaccines would be affected.
    • Trump described each dose as approximately 20% of the current amount and said he believes the approach would lead to a “massive reduction in autism.” Decades of research have found no causal link between vaccines and autism, and there is no evidence that dividing vaccines into smaller doses would reduce autism risk.
    • See our previous Reality Check for more on the evidence related to vaccines and autism.
  • The proposal appears to go beyond an August Executive Order that called for separating the combined MMR vaccine into individual vaccines once available and, where feasible, administering childhood immunizations at separate medical visits.
    • Vaccines are studied and licensed using specific doses and schedules designed to produce an effective immune response. Changing those doses or schedules would generally require additional manufacturer development and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review.
  • Together, the remarks suggest that the Administration may continue pursuing changes to childhood vaccine policy beyond those already announced. However, it remains unclear whether the five-dose proposal will become formal policy, which vaccines it would apply to, or how it would be implemented.
  • Cassidy said Sunday (Sep. 20) that he did not know which vaccines Trump was referring to or whether manufacturers would implement the proposal. Cassidy also encouraged the president to be “radically honest” about vaccines, warning that presidential statements discouraging vaccinations could lead to lower uptake and more measles illness and deaths.

Updated Covid Vaccines Remain Unavailable Through Vaccines for Children Program

  • Updated Covid vaccines are still not available through the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program—more than three weeks after the FDA approved the shots on August 27.
    • VFC provides vaccines at no cost to children who are uninsured, underinsured or eligible for Medicaid, as well as to American Indian and Alaska Native children. The program serves nearly half of U.S. children, making it a major source of vaccine access for those who may experience financial barriers to getting vaccinated.
  • HHS has not yet decided whether to make the updated vaccines available through VFC, leaving states unable to place orders with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Meanwhile, pediatric doses have begun reaching the commercial market for children with private insurance or families able to pay out of pocket.
    • Updated Covid vaccines are typically ordered by federal programs within two weeks of the vaccines becoming available for commercially insured programs. The current lag leaves VFC-dependent children without the same access to updated vaccines, raising concerns about missed vaccination opportunities and unequal access before respiratory season.
    • Although HHS has not yet shared a reason for the delay, department officials said the CDC is finalizing its decision on vaccine procurement.
  • The delay comes amid a lack of guidance from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which normally votes on whether newly approved vaccines will be covered through VFC.
    • ACIP has not met since a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on March 16 that stayed the appointment of new members and changes to federal vaccine recommendations, which included a narrowing of populations recommended to receive Covid vaccines.
  • Last week (Sep. 18), Vaccinate Your Family sent a letter to CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz requesting that updated Covid vaccines be made immediately available through the VFC program.

STATE POLICY

Rhode Island Joins States Issuing Independent Respiratory-Season Vaccine Guidance

Connecticut Court Upholds Law Eliminating Religious Exemptions

  • A Connecticut Superior Court dismissed the final remaining challenge to the state’s 2021 law eliminating religious exemptions from school immunization requirements, bringing the more than four-year legal case to a close.
  • Earlier this year, lawmakers passed legislation clarifying that the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act does not apply to school immunization requirements, a change that became central to the state’s successful motion to dismiss the case.
    • The ruling leaves Connecticut’s school immunization policy in place. Connecticut is one of five states that does not allow religious exemptions from school immunization requirements. All states allow for medical exemptions.

Pennsylvania Presses CDC to Recognize Measles-Associated Deaths Amid Ongoing Outbreak

  • Pennsylvania officials are pressing the CDC to publicly recognize four measles-associated deaths identified by the state, as Pennsylvania continues to respond to its largest measles outbreak in decades.
  • The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed four measles-associated deaths in 2026, including two announced last week (Sep. 15). All four individuals were unvaccinated.
  • However, the CDC has not included the deaths on its national measles dashboard. Governor Josh Shapiro has accused Kennedy of intervening to prevent the deaths from being reported; Kennedy has denied the claim and said the CDC is applying its own standard for determining whether deaths were caused by measles.
    • Pennsylvania has requested additional CDC assistance through the agency’s Epidemic Intelligence Service/Epi-Aid program, but state Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen said the state would withdraw the request unless the CDC publicly recognizes the four deaths and accurately reflects them in federal reporting.
  • The state has continued expanding its response, including pop-up vaccination clinics and outreach in affected communities. As of September 21, Pennsylvania had reported 792 measles cases across 38 counties this year.

OUTBREAK OUTLOOK

Measles: 3,568 cases have been reported nationally in 2026, including an increase of 341 cases over the past two weeks (Sep. 18).

  • Pennsylvania continues to be a hotspot for measles activity with 792 total cases in 2026 and 97 new confirmed cases in the last seven days.
    • For more on other states driving recent measles activity, see here.
  • Continued case increases come amid rising skepticism of the MMR vaccine. New Reuters/Ipsos polling finds that about one in four Americans don’t think the childhood MMR vaccine is safe, up 8 percentage points from May 2020.

Covid: Infections are growing or likely growing in 27 states (Sep. 16). National Covid activity is elevated and increasing (Sep. 18), although overall acute respiratory illness remains very low.

Flu: Seasonal flu activity remains low nationally (Sep. 18), with little activity expected this early in the respiratory virus season.

WHAT TO WATCH

FDA Commissioner Nominee to Appear Before Senate HELP Committee

  • On Thursday (Sep. 24), the Senate HELP Committee will hold a confirmation hearing on the nomination of Dr. Heidi Overton to serve as FDA Commissioner.
    • Overton, currently a White House domestic policy advisor, was nominated in August.
  • Ahead of the hearing, Cassidy stated he is looking for clarity from Overton on her views of vaccine safety—specifically citing her presence when Trump made inaccurate claims about the MMR vaccine while signing an executive order changing the childhood vaccine schedule.
    • Cassidy said he wants to hear that Overton recognizes those claims as unsupported and can communicate clearly about vaccine safety.
  • The hearing may also offer more insight into how Overton would approach FDA oversight of vaccines and other medical products amid ongoing changes to federal vaccine policy and leadership.

Vaccine Integrity Project Launches Reviews of Meningococcal and Pneumococcal Vaccines

  • Last week (Sep. 16), the Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP) announced it will conduct independent systematic reviews of the evidence supporting meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccination for children and young adults. The reviews will assess vaccine safety and effectiveness, disease burden and epidemiology, and newer evidence published since ACIP’s last comprehensive reviews.
  • The reviews will build on VIP’s recent assessments of vaccines including flu, Covid, RSV, the HepB birth dose, human papillomavirus (HPV) and Tdap during pregnancy. Findings are expected in early 2027.

Kennedy Appoints Eight New Members to Preventive Services Task Force

  • Kennedy appointed eight new members to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) last week (Sep. 17), filling vacancies that had left the 16-member panel operating with half of its seats occupied. The new members include specialists in oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology and radiology, as well as experts in primary care and health finance.
    • The appointments mark a shift from the panel’s traditional emphasis on primary care expertise; historically, specialists generally served as outside consultants rather than task force members.
  • While USPSTF does not set vaccine recommendations, the appointments are relevant to the broader changes underway across federal health advisory bodies and evidence-review processes.

FDA Vaccine Advisory Committee to Meet on 2027 Southern Hemisphere Flu Strains (Oct. 1)

  • The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will meet next week (Oct. 1) to consider flu vaccine composition for the 2027 Southern Hemisphere season.
    • The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently meeting (Sep. 21-24) to develop its recommendations for the same season.
  • These meetings are part of the annual global process used to identify which flu strains should be included in seasonal vaccines. Southern Hemisphere surveillance can also provide an early signal of viruses that may become important later in the Northern Hemisphere.

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Vaccinate Your Family is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to protecting people of all ages from vaccine-preventable diseases. To learn more visit us at: vaccinateyourfamily.org

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