Will NC health officials follow CDC’s lead and lower childhood vaccine rules?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- NC will maintain its school vaccine requirements despite CDC schedule revisions.
- CDC reduced routine universal vaccines to 11 and moved others to shared decision-making.
- North Carolina still mandates hepatitis B and meningococcal shots for students.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says it doesn’t plan to change its childhood vaccine guidance despite federal recommendations loosening on Monday.
NCDHHS currently requires children to receive a set of back-to-school vaccines prior to certain grade levels, including immunization against diseases such as polio, chickenpox and measles.
On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control made sweeping changes to previously recommended childhood vaccine schedule. The shift is effective immediately, and the CDC now recommends all children get vaccinated against 11 diseases — six fewer than this time last year.
The CDC now recommends vaccines for flu, Hepatitis A and B, Meningococcal disease, Rotavirus, RSV and COVID-19 for high-risk populations or through “shared clinical decision-making” rather than for all children. Vaccinations against measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV) and chickenpox remain recommended for all children.
The change comes after President Donald Trump on Dec. 5 directed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CDC Acting Director Jim O’Neill to review practices from “peer, developed nations” when it comes to childhood vaccine recommendations and update its schedule accordingly.
However, NCDHHS “does not anticipate changes” to its childhood vaccine guidance, a spokesperson told The Charlotte Observer Tuesday. As a result, N.C. students will still be required to receive some vaccinations no longer on the CDC’s list of vaccines recommended for all children.
In kindergarten, seventh and 12th grade, schools are required to check that students have received the required vaccines by collecting a “certification of immunization” filled out by their doctor or provider — or an exemption for medical or religious reasons. This applies to all schools in the state, including public, private, religious and home schools.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has indicated that all previously recommended vaccines will continue to be covered by insurance and through the Vaccines for Children program.
What vaccines are required in NC schools?
For NC students, NCDHHS requires vaccines against:
- Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
- Polio
- Pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria (TDap)
- Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib)
- Pneumococcal disease
- Varicella (chickenpox)
- Meningococcal disease
- Hepatitis B
Two vaccines on the list – for Hepatitis B and meningococcal disease – are no longer on the CDC’s list of vaccinations recommended for all children.
“Vaccines remain one of the most effective means available to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death,” a NCDHHS spokesperson told The Observer in an email. “NCDHHS recommends that clinicians continue to rely on their clinical training and professional judgment and 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.”
The federal change at the CDC comes as a measles outbreak which first appeared in northwest South Carolina in late 2025 continues to grow, reaching 211 cases by Tuesday. Two schools reported known exposures, and nine children were reportedly in quarantine Tuesday, WBTV reported. But the measles vaccine is still recommended for all children by both the CDC and NCDHHS.
This story was originally published January 7, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Will NC health officials follow CDC’s lead and lower childhood vaccine rules?."
