The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its updated 2026 childhood and adolescent immunisation schedule on Saturday, incorporating revised guidance on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prophylaxis for infants and new clarifications on combination vaccine timing that paediatricians have been awaiting since late 2025.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which met in late February to vote on the revisions, recommended expanding eligibility for nirsevimab — the RSV monoclonal antibody marketed as Beyfortus by Sanofi and AstraZeneca — to include a broader cohort of infants entering their second RSV season under defined risk conditions. The updated schedule, published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, reflects those votes and consolidates months of interim guidance into a single authoritative document.

Paediatric clinicians and pharmacy benefit managers had been operating under provisional guidance since the 2025–2026 RSV season began, creating inconsistencies in administration records and insurance reimbursement. The publication of the formal schedule is expected to resolve disputes between providers and payers that emerged when interim CDC communications conflicted with label language approved by the FDA.

The American Academy of Pediatrics welcomed the updated schedule, with its Committee on Infectious Diseases noting that standardised timing recommendations would reduce missed opportunities for RSV protection among premature infants and those with chronic lung conditions. AAP president Dr. Susan Kressly said in a statement that clear, consolidated guidance helps clinicians at the point of care without requiring them to cross-reference multiple advisory memos.

Public health officials also flagged minor amendments to meningococcal B vaccine timing for adolescents and updated catch-up guidance for children who received early COVID-19 vaccine series under emergency-era protocols now superseded by licensed formulations. The full schedule, along with interactive catch-up tables, is available on the CDC website and has been distributed to state immunisation programme managers ahead of the spring well-child visit surge.