Following recent federal changes to childhood vaccine recommendations, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services is reassuring families that Delaware’s childhood vaccination guidance and access remain unchanged.

Delaware continues to follow long-standing, evidence-based immunization schedules that protect children from preventable diseases and support their healthiest start in life.

“Parents should feel confident that Delaware’s approach to childhood vaccination remains steady, reliable and grounded in decades of scientific evidence,” said Delaware Surgeon General Dr. Neil Hockstein. “Combination vaccines like MMR have been safely used for decades, and the evidence is clear that vaccines do not cause autism. Requiring families to make additional trips to the doctor for the same protection creates unnecessary barriers and more opportunities for children to fall behind. Our job should be to make it easier for parents to protect their children, not harder.”

The White House issued an executive order Aug. 10, establishing new federal childhood vaccine recommendations and advising states to consider updating vaccination requirements. The federal recommendations reduce the number of diseases for which vaccines are universally recommended for children, move some vaccines to shared clinical decision-making, and recommend changes to how vaccines are administered, including separating the combined MMR vaccine into individual shots and administering vaccines at separate medical visits.

These federal changes do not alter Delaware’s current childhood vaccination guidance. The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services – including the Division of Public Health and the Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance – continues to support the provision of routine childhood vaccinations in line with the guidelines put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics. DPH clinics will continue offering recommended immunizations to families.

“Delaware families can continue to rely on the same childhood vaccine guidance and access they have today,” said DHSS Secretary Christen Linke Young. “Our responsibility is to make sure parents have access to reliable information and proven tools to protect their children’s health. We will continue to support families and healthcare providers in making informed decisions about their children’s care.”

Routine childhood vaccines have been studied extensively, and they have a long record of safely and effectively preventing diseases that can cause serious illness, hospitalization and death. Families are encouraged to keep their children up to date on recommended vaccinations and speak with their child’s healthcare provider about questions related to immunization schedules or preventive care.

For more information about vaccines, Delawareans may go to dhss.delaware.gov/dph/vaccines or contact healthcare providers. To check adults' or children's vaccination records in Delaware, sign into DelVAX at delvaxpublicportal.dhss.delaware.gov.