OB-GYNs release their own vaccine schedule, rejecting RFK Jr.'s meddling

For the first time, the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) has released its own recommendations for maternal vaccination, providing formal guidance that diverges from that of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention amid unprecedented policy changes and meddling from anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

ACOG President Camille Clare blamed “changing national recommendations coupled with rampant vaccine misinformation” for the confusion among patients and health care professionals about vaccines during pregnancy.

“It is incredibly important for the public to have access to reliable, evidence-based information on maternal immunizations from a trusted source. ACOG is proud to be that source,” Clare said in a statement.

ACOG’s 2026 Maternal Immunization Schedule differs most significantly from the CDC’s current schedule by including recommendations for COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccines. Those vaccines have been dropped from the CDC’s recommendations under Kennedy, in conflict with scientific evidence and amid strong opposition from medical organizations.

Currently, the CDC recommends only two immunizations during pregnancy: Tdap (against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) and RSV (against respiratory syncytial virus). ACOG’s new guidance recommends influenza, COVID-19, RSV, and Tdap vaccines. It also provides clear recommendations for additional vaccines for certain populations, as well as vaccinations recommended during postpartum and while breastfeeding.

Medical organizations revolt

“Immunizations are an essential part of prepregnancy, prenatal, and postpartum care,” said ACOG Chief of Clinical Practice Christopher Zahn in a statement. “As OB-GYNs, we have the power to combat vaccine misinformation on our own platforms, help our patients make educated decisions, and increase confidence in vaccination overall.”

Thirteen other medical organizations have already endorsed ACOG’s new vaccine recommendations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians, the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, and the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

AAP President Andrew Racine highlighted the need for such guidance, citing the vulnerability of babies. “Their immune systems are still developing, and in those first months of life, they rely on us—the adults around them—to help keep them safe. Maternal vaccines are one of the most effective ways to protect not only the mother but her newborn as well.”

Like ACOG, AAP has also released its own childhood vaccine schedule, which conflicts with the CDC’s schedule under Kennedy. And like AAP’s, its recommendations have been endorsed by a dozen other medical organizations, including the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

The AAP has led the charge against Kennedy’s anti-vaccine agenda, spearheading a lawsuit against changes that Kennedy has made to federal vaccine recommendations and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an influential panel of advisors the CDC relies on to set policy. That litigation, which is ongoing, led to a temporary injunction in March that reversed many changes to CDC’s vaccine schedule and blocked most of Kennedy’s hand-selected ACIP members.