On October 1, 2025, Governor Shapiro signed an executive order that ensures every Pennsylvanian has access to safe, effective vaccines and the freedom to make informed health care decisions in consultation with their doctors.
What does this mean for you? The Executive Order:
- Establishes plans to create a state-based vaccine program for uninsured or underinsured children
- Requires state agencies to align vaccine guidance with trusted medical experts
- Launches a central online vaccine website: pa.gov/vaccines – you’ve already found it!
- Establishes a Vaccine Education Workgroup to strengthen communication and combat misinformation
- Ensures coverage of recommended vaccines through Medicaid and private insurance
- Directs the Departments of Aging and Education to ensure older adults and schools have access to evidence-based guidance on vaccines
PA DOH recommends that Pennsylvanians follow the most recent immunization recommendations issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). PA DOH endorses these evidence-based immunization schedules and recommendations and encourages all Pennsylvanians to follow the guidance of these trusted medical organizations. By staying up to date with recommended immunizations, individuals can protect themselves, their families, and their communities from serious vaccine-preventable diseases.
The AAP, ACOG, and AAFP recommendations outline routine immunizations for all children, pregnant women, and adults. Children should receive all standard childhood immunizations on the recommended schedule from infancy through adolescence, ensuring protection against infectious diseases like hepatitis, measles, polio, and whooping cough, among others. Pregnant women are advised to receive indicated immunizations during pregnancy — including influenza (flu), pertussis (whooping cough), COVID-19, and RSV — to safeguard both mother and baby. Adults should stay current with all recommended vaccines, such as annual flu shots, updated COVID-19 vaccines, and age-appropriate immunizations (e.g., shingles, RSV, and pneumonia vaccines for older adults).
Vaccines are available across the lifespan and are safe and effective. By staying up to date with recommended immunizations, individuals can protect themselves, their families, and their communities from serious vaccine-preventable diseases. Talk to your healthcare provider about what vaccines are right for you and your family.
How Pennsylvanians can use this guidance
- Children & teens: AAP's' “All About the AAP Recommended Immunization Schedule” on HealthyChildren.org.
- Adults & older adults: AAFP Adult Immunization Schedule by Age
- Pregnancy (COVID-19, Flu, RSV): ACOG's Updated Maternal Immunization Guidance (August 22, 2025), which recommends:
- COVID-19 vaccine at any stage of pregnancy;
- Inactivated/recombinant flu vaccine during any trimester; and
- Maternal RSV vaccine between 32–36 6/7 weeks of gestation, with coadministration permitted
- Ask your health care provider about the best time to get your vaccines and any personal health factors you should keep in mind.
- Resources for Parents: AAP’s Vaccines Your Child Needs and Vaccines for ‘Tweens, Teens & Young Adults.
The federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program provides vaccines to children who are under- or uninsured. Children through 18 years of age who meet at least one of the following criteria are eligible to receive a vaccine through VFC:
Medicaid eligible: a child who is eligible for the Medicaid program. (For the purposes of the VFC Program the terms Medicaid-eligible and Medicaid-enrolled are equivalent and refer to children who have health insurance covered by a state Medicaid program)
Uninsured: a child who has no health insurance coverage
American Indian or Alaska Native: as defined by the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603)
Underinsured: a child who has private health insurance that does not cover vaccines, a child whose health insurance only covers certain vaccines (VFC-eligible for non-covered vaccines only), or a child whose health insurance covers vaccines but has a fixed dollar limit or cap (once the fixed dollar/cap is reached, the child is VFC eligible).
Underinsured children are eligible to receive VFC vaccine only through a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or Rural Health Clinic (RHC).
Please contact the Pennsylvania VFC Program at 1-888-646-6864 or refer to the Enrolled VFC Providers map to find a VFC provider in your area.
Is your child entering kindergarten or grades 3, 6, 7, 11, or 12? Or are they a new student? Pennsylvania law requires certain exams and immunizations for school-aged students. These requirements allow for the following exemptions: medical reason, religious belief, or philosophical/strong moral or ethical conviction. Even if your child is exempt from immunizations, he or she may be excluded from school during an outbreak of vaccine preventable disease.
Going on a trip? Find out which vaccines you may need to help you stay healthy while you travel.
We can help by sending you a record of your immunizations!
Visit the PIERS page and complete the Authorization for Release of Immunizations Records Form.
How health care professionals can use this guidance
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
AAP’s Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule provides the most up-to-date recommendations for children and adolescents.
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
AAFP’s Adult Immunization Schedule includes vaccines by age, condition, and special populations.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
ACOG’s Updated Maternal Immunization Guidance (August 22, 2025) covers COVID-19, influenza, and RSV vaccines during pregnancy.
- Specific clinical recommendations for COVID-19, influenza, and RSV:
- COVID-19 Vaccination Considerations for Obstetric–Gynecologic Care — recommends vaccination at any point in pregnancy, postpartum, or lactation.
- Influenza in Pregnancy: Prevention and Treatment — recommends inactivated or recombinant flu vaccine during any trimester; live attenuated influenza vaccine is contraindicated in pregnancy.
- Maternal RSV Vaccination — recommends RSV vaccine (Abrysvo) between 32 0/7 and 36 6/7 weeks of gestation during RSV season; if not given, plan for infant to receive nirsevimab or clesrovimab.
The federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program provides vaccines to children who are under or uninsured. “Underinsured” refers to children who are insured but whose insurance does not cover immunizations; they are also eligible to receive federally funded vaccines at public sites, including Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics. The types of providers include, but are not limited to:
- Behavioral Health Clinic
- Birthing Hospital or Birthing Center Birthing
- Community Vaccinator
- Correctional Facility
- Family Planning Clinic (non-health department)
- Federally Qualified Health Center
- Hospitals
- Migrant Health Center
- Juvenile Detention Center
- Pharmacy
- Private Practice
Apply to become a VFC provider.
The Pennsylvania Immunization Electronic Registry System (PIERS) is a confidential, computerized immunization registry that records vaccine doses administered and reported by participating providers in Pennsylvania (excluding Philadelphia). PIERS supports health care providers by allowing connected practices to send and receive immunization data with the goal of achieving complete and timely immunization data for all Pennsylvanians.
Reporting vaccine administrations to PIERS is required for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy interns as well as any vaccine supplied by the Pennsylvania Immunization Program, such as through the Vaccines for Children Program; however, all other health care providers are strongly encouraged to participate as there are many benefits to participation for health care providers as well as patients.
Order immunization materials from DOH; download brochures, flyers, and rack cards for your office; and access other immunization resources.