Rhode Island children, families, child care facilities, and schools should continue to follow Rhode Island’s Childhood Immunization Schedule, Governor Dan McKee and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) reiterated today.
Rhode Island’s vaccination requirements for children entering childcare and schools have not changed. Rhode Island’s vaccination schedule is not affected by an Executive Order signed by the President on August 10th that calls for reducing the number of vaccines received by children and changing when vaccines are received. There is no new evidence to justify the changes in this Executive Order.
Rhode Island’s childhood vaccination schedule is grounded in the science, data, and facts on vaccines. It aligns with the schedules issued by numerous longstanding, credible medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians, and it aligns with the position of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a coalition of 16 regional public health agencies.
“Vaccination recommendations should be based on science, not ideology. No matter what is happening at the federal level, we will continue to ensure that Rhode Islanders have access to vaccines and fact-based vaccination information to help keep themselves and their families safe,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Vaccines work. They help make communities healthier, and they help keep kids in the classroom learning.”
“With more cases of measles across the country in 2026 than we have seen in decades, it is more important than ever that Rhode Island children be vaccinated using a schedule that is grounded in science, data, and facts,” said Director of Health, Jerry Larkin, MD. “Vaccines have saved millions of lives, and they help keep Rhode Islanders healthy and safe every day.”
Pediatricians and other healthcare professionals recommend that children receive vaccines at specific ages based on when children’s immune systems will respond best and when they are most vulnerable to certain diseases. Sometimes children may receive multiple vaccines at one visit, or they may receive a single shot that protects against multiple diseases. This is the case with the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. Numerous studies conducted over many years in multiple countries have confirmed the benefits of the MMR vaccine. MMR vaccine, and the other vaccines in Rhode Island’s childhood immunization schedule, are safe and effective. Delaying immunization misses crucial periods of potential exposure, putting infants, children, and adolescents at risk. There is absolutely no evidence that vaccines cause autism.
Parents or guardians who have questions about vaccines should talk to their child’s healthcare professional. Additionally, RIDOH has immunization information available at: https://health.ri.gov/
These positions from the Governor McKee and RIDOH align with the position of the Northeast Public Health Collaborative. The Northeast Public Health Collaborative is a group of public health agencies that work together to share expertise, improve coordination, enhance capacity, strengthen regional readiness and protect evidence-based public health in our jurisdictions. The Collaborative released the following statement today:
“The Northeast Public Health Collaborative (NEPHC) firmly stands in support of science-based vaccination recommendations. Accordingly, the NEPHC reaffirms its earlier endorsement of the 2026 childhood and adolescent immunization schedules issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which have also been endorsed by numerous other medical organizations. These schedules reflect the current scientific evidence on vaccine safety and effectiveness and are based on the specific disease risks and healthcare delivery context in the U.S.
Undermining confidence in the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine — used for over five decades — during the largest measles outbreak in decades will lead to additional measles cases and, potentially, deaths. Immunizations save lives, and parents should be able to trust that the health recommendations they receive are based on science.”