03/18/2026
A statement by Dr. Andrew Racine, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, on a federal judge's ruling to block key aspects of HHS Secretary RFK Jr’s efforts to upend vaccine policy:
“Today’s ruling is a historic and welcome outcome for children, communities, and pediatricians everywhere. When Secretary Kennedy made unsupported and unscientific changes to pediatric immunization recommendations last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) was mission-bound to step up and push back against these dangerous actions that have sown chaos and confusion for parents and pediatricians across the country. This decision effectively means that a science-based process for developing immunization recommendations is not to be trifled with and represents a critical step to restoring scientific decision-making to federal vaccine policy that has kept children healthy for years.
“For decades, the AAP partnered closely with the federal government to advance our mission of attaining the optimal health and well-being of children and youth. We would much prefer to return to that partnership and collaborate with federal healthcare agencies instead of litigating against them. Through this partnership, the AAP and federal health agencies collaborated closely, reviewing the science and discussing the latest evidence alongside experts, to develop clear, unified routine childhood and adolescent immunization recommendations that protect children from dangerous, preventable illnesses.
“We stand by ready to resume this role, which is why we issued our annual update to the childhood immunization schedule that has been formally endorsed by more than 12 national medical societies and supported by hundreds of public health groups, experts, and advocates. In the wake of today’s decision, one thing remains clear: parents can continue to turn to the AAP’s childhood vaccine recommendations and talk with their pediatrician about how to best protect their children's health.”
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