New Mexico Keeps Full Childhood Vaccine Recommendations After Federal Change

Following a federal change announced by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the New Mexico Department of Health announced on Jan. 7 that the state would keep its full childhood vaccination recommendations in place. State leaders reiterated that New Mexico will not adopt the federal rollback and reaffirmed the safety and effectiveness of routine childhood vaccines.

State recommendations remain aligned with the American Academy of Pediatrics immunization schedule used by pediatricians and clinics across New Mexico. Officials also said that vaccine coverage through the Vaccines for Children program, Medicaid, and private insurance in New Mexico will be unchanged, ensuring families will continue to have access to no-cost or covered childhood vaccines.

For San Juan County, the decision preserves continuity for schools, child care programs, and local health clinics that require or encourage adherence to the standard vaccination schedule. Many local providers schedule well-child visits and school-entry immunizations around the AAP timeline; keeping the state standard prevents disruption to those routines and reduces the administrative burden clinics would face if recommendations diverged.

Public health experts emphasize that stable vaccination guidance helps maintain high coverage levels that protect children and vulnerable community members from outbreaks of measles, whooping cough, and other vaccine-preventable diseases. In rural and frontier areas of the county, maintaining consistent state policy supports small clinics and school health services that have limited capacity to track divergent federal and state guidance.

The state also signaled that existing programs which fund and deliver vaccines will continue operating as before. Vaccines for Children provides vaccines to eligible children at no cost, and Medicaid and private insurers will continue to cover recommended pediatric immunizations under New Mexico policy. The Department of Health provided helpline contact information for residents seeking vaccinations or more information.

Parents and caregivers in San Juan County who have questions about school requirements, clinic scheduling, or insurance coverage should contact their child’s health care provider or the New Mexico Department of Health for guidance. Maintaining the state’s existing recommendations aims to reduce confusion, keep routine immunizations on track, and protect children across the county from preventable illnesses.