The Center for Community Health Improvement and Community Health Improvement Epidemiology Program invite you to put Black history at the center of healthcare. These programs are celebrating this month by centering Black history in community health improvement work and data. We invite you to do the same with our resources and data. 

Centering Black history in our data and storytelling means putting context back into the numbers. Data does not exist in a vacuum; pairing quantitative findings with historical timelines, place-based context, and lived narratives leads to more accurate interpretation and more ethical public health practice. Disaggregating data helps prevent the masking of meaningful differences within Black communities, while being transparent about data gaps acknowledges the legacy of exclusion from research and public health systems. When we center Black history, we are not looking backward—we are using history as a tool to do our work better, more honestly, and more effectively; strengthening trust, advancing equity, and supporting more sustainable community health improvement across Virginia. 

Centering Black history in community health improvement is integral to our work of promoting and protecting the health of all Virginians. It should be core to how we understand disparities, engage communities, and advance population health across the Commonwealth. As we work toward the shared vision of making Virginia the healthiest state in the nation, we must recognize that many of the inequities reflected in our data today are shaped by historical and structural factors that have influenced access to care, resources, and opportunity. Understanding Black history and the Black experience helps us better understand why some communities have not always experienced a sense of belonging, why mutual respect has not been extended equitably, and why resources and opportunities have been unevenly distributed. It also sheds light on how policies, systems, and decisions are often made far from the communities most affected; creating barriers that continue to shape health outcomes today. 

VDH Aligns Vaccine Recommendations with American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 

Vaccinations play a critical role in protecting the health of children, families, and communities. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) strongly recommends that all children in the Commonwealth be vaccinated in accordance with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule. After thorough review of the various schedules, our agency believes that AAP’s recommended schedule best reflects the existing science on how to optimally protect Virginia’s children and adolescents against 18 vaccine-preventable diseases.    

VDH expects healthcare providers to continue relying on their clinical training and professional judgement, and to consult information published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians when engaging in shared clinical decision-making with parents, caregivers, and patients.  

Please note that the minimum immunization requirements for school entrance in Virginia are outlined in the Code of Virginia and remain unchanged as compared to last school year. Additional information on school immunization requirements can also be found on the VDH School Requirements webpage.    

Additional information can be found in the Clinician Letter from February 18, 2026. 

Free 12 Weeks of Nicotine Replacement Therapy Available 

A short conversation about quitting can make a big difference in your patient’s health. Nearly 3 out of 4 people in Virginia who use tobacco or nicotine want to quit.

Quit Now Virginia is offering up to 12 weeks of free nicotine patches and/or nicotine gum, along with free coaching to help people quit for good. Now is a great time to talk with your patients about quitting with free, evidence-based support from QuitNowVirginia.org and 1-800 QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). Healthcare providers can also sign up as e-referral sites to proactively connect patients with quit coaches. To order Quit Now Virginia materials and download bilingual flyers and a multi-language clinic sheet, visit the VDH Tobacco Control Program website.

The dashboard will be updated annually, and the underlying datasets are available on the Virginia Open Data Portal.