|
Due to extreme weather across much of the country, McKesson suspended all outbound shipments on Monday, January 26th. Shipments resumed Tuesday, January 27th. Thank you for your understanding.
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is committed to ensuring that everyone in our state, especially children, has access to life-saving vaccines. In case you missed it, we want to draw your attention to a news release that was issued last night.
The West Coast Health Alliance (WCHA) endorses the 2026 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule, as do professional medical and health organizations representing more than one million health care providers, reflecting a broad consensus on the safety and benefits of the recommended immunizations.
The AAP issued the annual update to its Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for 2026, based on a thorough and deliberate review of medical evidence. These recommendations also continue to thoughtfully consider specific disease risks and health care delivery in the United States.
The 2026 AAP Immunization Schedule reflects the most current science-based safety and benefits of immunizations that protect individuals and communities from infectious diseases and have saved millions of lives in the United States. Annual updates are important to incorporate new evidence.
“The AAP’s evidence-based immunization schedule reflects decades of research demonstrating that vaccines are safe, effective, and lifesaving,” said Dennis Worsham, Washington State Secretary of Health. “In Washington, our commitment to protecting children’s health through public health practices grounded in the best available science remains unwavering. We strongly encourage families to keep their children up to date on all AAP recommended vaccinations and to talk with their trusted healthcare providers if they have questions.”
The WCHA believes the AAP Immunization Schedule should continue to serve as the foundation for the immunizations routinely recommended by healthcare providers and guide conversations between providers and families.
The 2026 Vaccine Coordinator Training modules are now available! Please complete Module 1 first; the rest of the modules can be taken in any order. Please note Module 10 is only required to obtain continuing educations credits. Training modules may be paused and continued later. Remember to print a final certificate for your CVP/AVP Binder!
Annual provider agreement renewal is right around the corner in March/April! All vaccine coordinators and back-ups will need to have completed the 2026 training modules for renewal.
Resources
Vaccine Coordinator Training Instructions
Join us for the next CVP Training Series on Thursday, February 12th. This session will focus on the process to compete annual provider agreement renewal.
Date: February 12, 2026
Time: Noon - 1:00 p.m. PDT
Primary Audience: Providers, vaccine coordinators, and staff that order for the Childhood Vaccine Program
Register Here
A recording of the January 22nd Childhood Vaccine Program (CVP) Training Series: Important Program Updates webinar is now available on our Training webpage, along with the training slides.
If you have any questions, please contact us at WAChildhoodVaccines@doh.wa.gov.
We want to extend our sincere appreciation to all providers who took the time to complete the 2025 Provider Satisfaction Survey. Your participation plays a vital role in helping us understand what is working well and where we can continue to improve.
Overall satisfaction with the Childhood Vaccine Program remains strong in 2025. A majority of respondents reported being very satisfied with the program overall. You also reported high satisfaction with CVP information and materials provided during site visits and the ease of screening patients for CVP eligibility.
This year’s survey also included questions about the new Vaccine Coordinator Training and the feedback was very encouraging. Most responses received expressed satisfaction with the training content and format, noting that it helped staff to better understand CVP requirements, roles, and responsibilities. We heard the feedback regarding the amount of content and length of the training. We are working on updating our annual vaccine coordinator based on your feedback.
Each year, your feedback guides meaningful updates to our immunization program – from simplifying vaccine ordering processes to improving communication tools and educational resources. The insights you shared this year will directly shape our priorities for 2025-2026, ensuring we continue to support you in delivering safe, timely, and effective vaccines to your patients.
We know your schedules are full, and we are grateful that you dedicated a few minutes to sharing your experiences. Thank you for your continued partnership, your commitment to patient care, and the essential work you do every day in protecting our communities from vaccine-preventable diseases.
As of January 21, 2026, Washington state has six confirmed measles cases in Snohomish County and Kittitas County, with linkages to travelers from South Carolina where there are more than 700 reported measles cases. As measles surges nationally, DOH urges vaccination and has released new interim pediatric measles outbreak vaccination recommendations. Please remain alert for potential measles cases or measles-like symptoms, especially among people who visited public exposure locations listed on the Washington State Measles Public Exposure Location Tracker.
If measles is suspected, immediately contact DOH’s Communicable Disease Epi Vaccine Preventable Disease team or call 206-418-5500 any time, 24/7, to request prompt diagnostic testing at Washington’s Public Health Lab.
For more information about measles cases and outbreaks:
For vaccine questions, please email immunenurses@doh.wa.gov.
The Washington Department of Health (DOH) will host a webinar on Monday, February 23, 2026 from 12-1pm to discuss:
- Overview of recent changes to the childhood vaccine schedule and DOH recommendations
- AAP Immunization Schedule and WA recommendations
- Talking to families about recent changes
The webinar will be recorded and continuing education (CE) credits will be available for naturopathic physicians, nurses, and medical assistants. We are currently applying for continuing pharmacy education.
PLEASE REGISTER (TRAIN account is required)
Did you know that CVP enrolled providers are not required to keep RSV vaccine products on hand? It's true! At this time, we are not requiring or recommending that providers keep RSV vaccine products in their inventories if it is not routinely administered. All other routinely recommended vaccines (including other seasonal vaccines) must be ordered for the population you serve, unless you are enrolled as a specialty provider.
|
