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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Virginia's school immunization requirements are unchanged by the executive order President Donald Trump signed Monday scaling back federal childhood vaccine recommendations, the Virginia Department of Health said Tuesday.
The order does not alter vaccine recommendations or school immunization requirements in Virginia, VDH said in a statement reaffirming a commitment it first made earlier this year. The department continues to recommend children be vaccinated according to the American Academy of Pediatrics' 2026 childhood and adolescent immunization schedule.
"Virginia's families should be able to trust that our vaccine recommendations are grounded in the best available science and focused on protecting the health and well-being of their children," State Health Commissioner Dr. Cameron Webb said in the statement. "The evidence supporting the AAP immunization schedule is extensive."
The timing lands twelve days before Alexandria City Public Schools opens for the year. Classes begin Aug. 24 at every ACPS school except Samuel W. Tucker Elementary, which started July 27 on a modified calendar.
Virginia requires immunizations for students entering kindergarten, seventh grade and 12th grade at schools and daycares. Those requirements are set in state law and regulation, not by federal recommendation.
It also lands in the middle of Virginia's worst measles year in nearly four decades. The state had recorded 177 confirmed cases as of July 9, most tied to an outbreak that began in Buckingham County in May and later expanded to Cumberland County. Virginia has exceeded 100 measles cases only four times in the last 49 years — 1979, 1980, 1988 and this year. VDH reported Aug. 7 that the case count had held steady for a fourth straight week.
Among the order's provisions is a recommendation that the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine be given as three separate single-disease shots. Two doses of MMR are about 97% effective at preventing measles, according to VDH.
What the order does
The order, titled "Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans," recommends routine immunization against 11 diseases for all children, down from the 18 in the CDC's 2024 schedule. It sorts childhood vaccines into three categories: those recommended for all children, those recommended for children at higher risk, and those left to shared decision-making between parents and doctors. Vaccines against RSV and hepatitis A and B fall into the high-risk category under the order.
The MMR provision applies once single-disease products are available domestically; none are currently licensed in the United States. The order also says childhood immunizations should be given at separate visits to the extent feasible.
The order advises states and territories to review the new recommendations and consider updating laws and regulations governing school-entry immunization requirements. It does not compel them to. Setting those requirements has long been a state function.
Trump linked childhood vaccines to autism in remarks at the signing, a claim large studies over decades have not supported.
What Virginia is doing
VDH said it expects health care providers to keep relying on their clinical training and to consult the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians when making decisions with parents.
The Virginia chapter of the AAP backed the same schedule. "The Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics stands behind the AAP's Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule, which is evidenced-based and rooted in decades of research and data," said Dr. Erin Brickley, a pediatrician in Marion and chair of the chapter's immunization committee.
Separately, VDH will convene a new Workgroup on Childhood Immunization Schedules and Public Health Emergencies in late August. Created by the General Assembly in this year's budget, the group will bring together clinicians, insurance representatives and public health stakeholders to review Virginia's statutory and regulatory framework for access to childhood and emergency immunizations.
For Alexandria families
Alexandria Health Department Director Dr. David Rose urged families last month to book appointments before slots filled, citing the outbreak and an increase in other vaccine-preventable illnesses locally.
"Don't skip vaccines," Rose said in July. "Vaccines are the safest and most reliable way to keep kids healthy, learning, and growing strong."
AHD recommends families start with their child's primary care provider. For those without one, vaccines are available at pharmacies across the city, at AHD's Main Clinic for all ages, and at its Teen Wellness Center for students 12 to 19, which also provides sports physicals. AHD does not provide primary care but can help families find a provider at 703-746-4988.
Children entering public kindergarten need a school physical before the year begins, as do many preschool students. Full state requirements are posted at vdh.virginia.gov/immunization/requirements, and families can ask their school nurse about exemptions.
