US — Demetre Daskalakis, former director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and chief medical officer at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, said the delay in the Vaccine for Children program means delays in these states' ability to get vaccine for all children. He said not allowing universal ordering states to order vaccine is limiting access.

Daniel Jernigan, former director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, criticized the delay. He said getting the updated vaccine out there is going to provide the most protection to kids. He said it is, in a sense, almost derelict that you would not make it available to those most vulnerable to severe disease. He said they are using every means possible to try and make it harder to get vaccinated.

Why It Matters

The delay affects access for millions of eligible children and states with universal vaccine programs. The Vaccine for Children program covers approximately 52 percent of all US children, and the universal purchase programs in 11 states and one territory rely on its contracts to buy vaccines for all children regardless of insurance status.

The Department of Health and Human Services published a notice titled Order Under Sections 362 and 365 of the Public Health Service Act Continuing the Suspension of the Right To Introduce Certain Persons From Countries Where a Quarantinable Communicable Disease Exists on 2026-09-16. This action occurred as the agency manages vaccine procurement decisions.

What's New

Later reporting provided additional details on the situation. Emily Hilliard is a spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services. She confirmed that COVID-19 vaccines are not available through the Vaccine for Children program. Hilliard stated that an arbitrary September date should not be treated as a public-health deadline for Covid-19 vaccine procurement.

Demetre Daskalakis noted that not allowing universal ordering states to order vaccine is limiting access. Daniel Jernigan said getting the updated vaccine out there is going to provide the most protection to kids. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that they have not taken vaccines away from anyone and have preserved access. Research titled Reading Abilities and Phonological Skills of Second Grade Children with Three Different Language Histories: Normal, Delayed, and Chronically Delayed was published in 2000.

How Sources Differ

Sources also differ on another aspect of the children program. The Department of Health and Human Services statement shows Emily Hilliard confirmed that COVID-19 vaccines are not available through the Vaccine for Children program. State health department records indicate at least 11 states and one US territory participate in a universal vaccine purchase program that buys vaccines for all children regardless of insurance status through contracts otherwise for the Vaccine for Children program.