U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — The Virgin Islands Department of Health is assuring families, healthcare providers, and the wider community that the childhood and adolescent vaccination schedule in the Territory remains unchanged. Children in the U.S. Virgin Islands should continue to receive routine vaccines on the same schedule that has long been used to protect their health and well-being.

“Parents and caregivers can feel confident that the vaccines recommended for children in the U.S. Virgin Islands are safe, effective, and guided by strong scientific evidence,” said Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion. “Our priority is, and has always been, protecting the health of our children and our community. Nothing about that commitment has changed.”

Earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced revisions to its childhood immunization schedule that reduced or removed routine recommendations for several vaccines.

While the CDC schedule is often used as a reference, vaccination guidance in the U.S. Virgin Islands is based on careful review of scientific evidence and expert consensus. Following review, the VI Department of Health has determined that the revised CDC schedule does not reflect new scientific findings and does not align with long-standing pediatric and infectious disease guidance.

The VI Department of Health will continue to follow the childhood and adolescent immunization schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and supported by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

“These schedules are developed by leading medical and public health experts who carefully review scientific research to determine the safest and most effective ways to prevent serious diseases,” Commissioner Encarnacion said.

The U.S. Virgin Islands is not alone in this decision. Many states and jurisdictions across the country have also reaffirmed their commitment to evidence-based vaccination guidance developed by pediatric and medical experts.

To date, a majority of states have publicly stated they will continue to recommend the prior childhood vaccine schedule rather than adopt the new CDC changes. These states plan to follow the AAP’s recommendations, professional guidance, or their own longstanding public health policy rather than the revised federal schedule.

States continuing to follow prior immunization guidance include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and District of Columbia.

Routine childhood vaccines protect against serious and sometimes life-threatening illnesses, including hepatitis A and B, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, chickenpox, pneumococcal and meningococcal disease, rotavirus, influenza, RSV, HPV, and COVID-19. Maintaining routine vaccination helps prevent outbreaks and protects not only individual children, but families, schools, and the broader community.

Local health data also highlight the importance of continuing routine vaccination in the Territory. Cases of hepatitis B, including chronic infections, are still reported in the U.S. Virgin Islands, reinforcing the need to protect infants and children through timely immunization.

What families should know:

• Newborns should continue to receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth
• Children and adolescents should continue receiving vaccines on the regular schedule
• There are no changes to vaccine availability, insurance coverage, or public health services.

Healthcare providers are encouraged to continue vaccinating according to the recommended schedule, to talk with families using clear and evidence-based information, and to report immunizations to the Virgin Islands Immunization Registry System.

The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Health remains committed to supporting families with trusted information and to protecting our community from vaccine-preventable diseases.

For more information about the USVI vaccine schedule, visit www.doh.vi.gov.