Protecting Patient Access to Immunizations — ACP 2026 Advocacy Priority

 

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Support policies that would bolster evidence-based science by preserving coverage, increasing uptake, and restoring research for safe and effective immunizations.

Why Patient Access to Immunizations Matters

As internal medicine physicians on the front lines of patient care, we understand the critical role immunizations play in mitigating the spread of preventable diseases, especially among patients who are most vulnerable to serious complications. ACP is very concerned with the rise of immunization hesitancy and refusal. Having faced one of the largest measles outbreaks in decades, we must ensure patients have the most up-to-date information on immunizations backed by long-standing, evidence-based science.

Recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) play a key role in determining immunization schedules and coverage. To ensure the public has access to impartial, safe, and effective immunization guidance, ACIP must remain focused on scientific evidence and free from political interference.

ACP’s Position on Immunization Access Policy

ACP strongly believes that immunizations are vital to our ability to mitigate diseases that threaten public health, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to promoting evidence-based immunization practices. The College has undertaken the process of developing our own recommendations for adult immunizations. ACP’s recommendations for the use of influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunizations in adults are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

We urge policymakers to protect and strengthen our nation’s public health by supporting evidence-based guidance and research for immunizations, expanding access to safe and effective immunizations, and ensuring the public has reliable, accurate information to make informed decisions.