HHS Seeks Public Input on Federal Vaccine Recommendation Categories and Shared Clinical Decision-Making

WASHINGTON, D.C. - AUGUST 21, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public input on the categories used in federal vaccine recommendations and the role of shared clinical decision-making. The RFI advances President Trump's Executive Order Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans and supports the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines.

Through the RFI, HHS seeks input on whether the three categories currently used in federal vaccine recommendations - routine (universal), risk-based, and shared clinical decision-making, also referred to as individual-based decision-making - are adequate, clear, and well understood. HHS also seeks input on whether it should adopt additional or different categories.

The RFI invites public input on several considerations that could inform vaccine recommendations and category assignments, including:

• The availability, quality, and strength of evidence;
• The appropriate approach when randomized controlled trial evidence is limited or absent;
• Individual autonomy, informed consent, and religious freedom;
• The legal and programmatic consequences of recommendation categories;
• How shared clinical decision-making is understood and applied in practice, and how the category could be improved; and
• Communication practices necessary to earn and maintain public trust.

Clear, evidence-based, and transparent recommendations help Americans make informed healthcare decisions for themselves and their families. Under the Trump Administration, HHS is examining whether the current recommendation framework appropriately reflects the strength of the evidence, accounts for individual circumstances and values, and supports informed discussions among patients, parents, and healthcare providers.

Public input received through this RFI will help HHS and the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines evaluate whether the current recommendation framework adequately advances scientific rigor, informed choice, and public trust.

More information about the HHS RFI can be found at the Federal Register.