Tag: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Pediatric Vaccination Guidance: What Michigan Providers Need to Know

Member News, Top Issues - Healthcare

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently published its 2026 immunization schedule for children and adolescents, recommending protection against 18 diseases including polio, measles, respiratory syncytial virus and meningococcal disease. This comprehensive schedule draws on decades of evidence-based research and expert consensus and differs from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Jan. 6 update, which covers 11 diseases.

“The AAP will continue to provide recommendations for immunizations that are rooted in science and are in the best interest of the health of infants, children and adolescents of this country,” said AAP President Andrew Racine, MD, PhD, FAAP.

The schedule is supported by 12 major medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American Medical Association and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Michigan’s Position

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) issued a standing recommendation on Dec. 18, 2025, encouraging providers to follow the AAP’s evidence-based immunization schedules. MDHHS reaffirmed this position Jan. 6, 2026, underscoring its commitment to science-based public health recommendations.

The MHA encourages hospital leaders to connect with their local public health department to discuss shared strategies for promoting evidence-based vaccine information.

Supporting Patient Communication

As families encounter vaccine information from multiple sources, questions may arise. Healthcare providers play a key role in delivering clear, evidence-based guidance grounded in science.

To assist with this effort, MDHHS has partnered with the Michigan Association of Local Public Health to launch the Michigan Health Communications Initiative. The initiative offers a monthly provider newsletter and ready-to-use materials suitable for emails, social media or printed displays to help educate patients about the importance of vaccines.

Vaccines are an important tool for preventing and controlling infectious diseases. The MHA supports the state’s standing recommendation to follow the AAP immunization schedules as evidence-based guidance that protects Michigan’s children. Additional information is available on the MDHHS Immunization Recommendations for Michigan webpage.

Members with questions about vaccines may contact Kelsey Ostergren at the MHA.

CDC Updates Guidance for COVID-19 and Chickenpox Vaccines

Member News

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its guidance for the COVID-19 and varicella (chickenpox) vaccines. The CDC’s decision uses an individual-based decision-making framework, referring to vaccination decisions made through shared clinical decision-making. The framework notes that vaccination should be determined based on patient characteristics, which can make broad-based recommendations difficult to apply.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved marketing authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine to include those 65 and older and people at high risk for developing severe illness from the virus. This is in contradiction to policy in the past years, which recommended the vaccine for everyone six months and older.

The CDC also recommends updating the immunization schedule for chickenpox to be a standalone immunization rather than given in combination with the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines. This guidance is informed by evidence provided by the CDC Immunization Safety Office that states “Healthy 12–23 months old toddlers have an increased risk of febrile seizures seven to ten days after vaccination for the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine compared to those given immunization for chickenpox separately.”

The CDC stated that this change in decision making will continue to cover immunizations through payment systems that include Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Vaccines for Children Program and private insurance plans.

Members with questions regarding this webinar or vaccine policy should contact the MHA Policy team.

CDC Urges Hospitals to Complete mPINC Survey

Member News

The 2024 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) national survey of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) will close June 10.

The CDC seeks to assess maternity care practices that influence how infants are fed, while providing feedback that advances hospitals’ ability to support breastfeeding families.

The mPINC survey contains six core sections and an additional section for hospitals with a Special Care Nursery or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The six core sections cover:

  • Hospital demographics and data
  • Early postpartum care practices
  • Feeding practices
  • Education and support of mothers and caregivers
  • Staff and provider responsibilities and training
  • Hospital policies and procedures

Survey administration begins after Battelle, the CDC’s contractor, completes a screening process. Battelle will screen all hospitals via phone by contacting the hospital’s maternity department unit managers. After determining eligibility, the manager is asked to identify the best person to complete a survey that includes questions about unit-level infant nutrition practices.

Nurses, doctors and hospital administrators can use mPINC data to highlight the strengths of their care practices and explain areas of process improvement. The CDC will provide individualized reports to participating hospitals identifying areas of practice improvements that have been shown to improve breastfeeding outcomes.

The mPINC data can be used beyond the hospital-level setting. However, all responses are treated in a secure manner and are not disclosed unless required by law. Additionally, state health departments, policymakers and other community partners may access this data to drive evidence-based improvements in maternity care practices and policies at hospitals in their state. The external use of data will be released under data use agreements for additional approved purposes. These data use agreements will require adherence to data confidentiality.

MHA members that provide maternity care services are encouraged to participate by the June 10 deadline.

Members can learn more by email or visiting the CDC’s mPINC webpage. Members with questions should contact Carlie Austin at the MHA.