In the United States, vaccines have long been one of the most successful public health tools available. They have saved millions of lives, prevented the spread of dangerous diseases, and allowed generations of children to grow up protected from once devastating illnesses. This progress is thanks to the work of scientists like Bucks County’s own Stanley Plotkin, the “godfather of vaccines”, who helped develop vaccines for rubella, rabies and rotavirus, and wrote a seminal textbook on vaccines that’s still in print today.
Today, however, parents and patients are asking: what is happening with vaccine policy in Washington, and what does it mean for us here in Pennsylvania?
Changes led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the US Department of Health and Human Services have brought an alarming new direction to federal vaccine policy, including the removal of senior vaccine regulators and the restructuring of advisory bodies that help guide national recommendations. These actions have raised concerns among many physicians, researchers, and public health leaders who worry that longstanding regulatory processes are being disrupted and established science is being ignored.
Last year, Dr. Peter Marks, one of the nation’s longtime top vaccine regulators, was pushed out of his role. At the same time, the federal government has elevated people who question established vaccine science, including reviving investigations into long-debunked claims allegedly linking vaccines and autism. President Trump’s nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Casey Means, said in hearings last month that she would not broadly encourage parents to vaccinate their children against measles, the flu, or whooping cough, and has previously opposed hepatitis B vaccination for children.
These personnel changes have been accompanied by dramatic shifts in federal vaccine recommendations, which influence what vaccines are covered by insurance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in January that it would stop recommending routine immunization for children against the flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis, and RSV.
Public health experts warn that these actions undermine confidence in vaccines that have been proven safe and effective for decades. And the consequences of declining vaccine confidence are not theoretical.
Measles cases surged in 2025, with 1,319 confirmed cases by July compared to just 285 cases in all of 2024. This is an alarming reminder of how quickly diseases can return when vaccination rates drop. The World Health Organization declared measles eliminated in the United States in 2000, yet public health officials are once again responding to outbreaks that endanger children and vulnerable populations.
READ: As Measles Outbreaks Grow, the Economic Cost of Anti-Vaccine Misinformation Could Become Clearer
In the face of this uncertainty, families want to know: Are vaccines still available, and how are recommendations changing?
The good news is that here in Pennsylvania, state leaders and public health officials are working to ensure that access to vaccines remains stable and guided by evidence-based medicine. Pennsylvania continues to rely on the expertise of medical professionals and established scientific research to inform public health policy.
Pennsylvania, along with 14 other states, has taken legal action to challenge the federal changes to childhood vaccine recommendations. The goal is simple: to ensure that families and healthcare providers can continue to rely on clear, evidence-based guidance when it comes to protecting their health.
Still, in times like these, information can become confusing quickly. When policy debates dominate headlines and misinformation spreads online, it becomes harder for families to know what to believe.
That is why my office is hosting a Vaccine Access Webinar on March 31 featuring regional and national experts. We will discuss pediatric and adult vaccine access, explain what changes at the federal level may mean, what is not changing here in our Commonwealth, and how families can continue to access the vaccines they rely on.
The goal is not to alarm people. It is to ensure that Pennsylvanians have access to accurate information and can hear directly from medical professionals.
Public health works best when communities have reliable information and when decisions are grounded in science and transparency. At a time when federal vaccine policy is in flux, our responsibility at the state level is to provide clarity, protect access, and ensure families have the tools they need to keep themselves and their children safe.
I hope you will join us for this important conversation on March 31 and RSVP on our website. Pennsylvania will continue to lead with science, compassion, and common sense when it comes to protecting the health of our communities and families.
