For Immediate Release:
August 11, 2026
Statement attributable to:
127th President, National Medical Association
The National Medical Association is deeply concerned by the recent federal executive order altering longstanding childhood vaccine recommendations, as well as statements surrounding its announcement that are inconsistent with established scientific evidence.
For more than a century, the NMA has advocated for policies rooted in rigorous science, sound medicine and the protection of public health. Vaccines are among the most extensively studied and effective tools available to prevent serious illness, disability and death. Decisions about childhood immunization should be guided by the best available scientific evidence and the expertise of qualified medical and public health professionals.
At a time when misinformation continues to undermine confidence in proven public health measures, our nation’s leaders have a responsibility to communicate about vaccines with accuracy and care. Statements that are not supported by credible scientific evidence risk creating confusion for parents and families and may have serious consequences for the health of children and communities.
Those consequences will not necessarily be felt equally. Black children and families already face disparities in vaccine confidence, access and health outcomes that could be exacerbated by policies or rhetoric that further undermine trust in immunization. Recent research conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that Black parents were at least 10 percent less likely than white and Hispanic parents to express confidence in the safety of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and polio vaccines. Only 55 percent of Black parents expressed confidence in the safety of flu vaccines for children, compared with 64 percent of white parents and 69 percent of Hispanic parents.
The potential consequences extend beyond vaccine confidence. During the 2024–2025 flu season, Black children experienced the highest influenza associated mortality rate of any racial or ethnic group and accounted for 23 percent of pediatric flu deaths. Among vaccine eligible children who died and whose vaccination status was known, approximately 90 percent were not fully vaccinated. These numbers are a sobering reminder that declining vaccination rates are not an abstract public health concern. They can have devastating consequences for children, particularly in communities that have historically experienced disparities in access to care and health outcomes.
History has demonstrated what can happen when vaccination rates decline. Diseases once responsible for widespread childhood illness, disability and death were brought under control through decades of scientific advancement, vaccination and sustained public health efforts. We cannot afford to reverse that progress.
The NMA remains committed to evidence-based medicine and to ensuring that every family has access to accurate, trustworthy information to make informed health decisions. We urge policymakers to ensure that changes to vaccine recommendations are driven by transparent scientific review, robust evidence and the fundamental responsibility to protect the health and well being of all children.
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About the National Medical Association:
The National Medical Association is the nation’s oldest and largest organization representing Black physicians and health professionals in the U.S. and promotes the collective interests of physicians and patients of African descent. We serve as the voice of Black physicians and a leading voice for parity in medicine, elimination of health disparities and promotion of optimal health. To learn more about the NMA, please visit https://www.nmanet.org/.
