August 12, 2026
For Immediate Release
Childhood Vaccination Policy Must Be Guided by Science
Statement Attributable to:
Mark J. Adams, MD, MBA, FACR
President, Medical Society of the State of New York
“Vaccination has been one of the greatest achievements in modern medicine, preventing disease, disability, and countless deaths. The childhood vaccination schedule has evolved through decades of clinical experience, epidemiologic data and ongoing safety monitoring. Yet there have been anecdotal reports of potential harms due to the current vaccine recommendations and recent efforts to make major changes.
“As a society, we should welcome legitimate questions about the current vaccination schedule. Medical science advances by challenging established assumptions and determining whether accepted practices continue to provide the expected benefits with acceptable risks. No medical practice should be considered beyond scientific scrutiny simply because it has been in place for many years. But any significant change to an established childhood vaccination schedule should be based on rigorous scientific evidence demonstrating that the change will improve outcomes for children.
“Anecdotal observations, individual experiences, and preliminary findings can raise important questions and generate hypotheses worthy of investigation. They should prompt research, not automatically result in changes to established vaccination recommendations.
“Whenever feasible, randomized, well-designed research should be used to evaluate established vaccination practices and determine whether proposed changes provide greater benefit and acceptable risk. Such research can help distinguish actual effects from associations caused by chance, bias or other factors. Evidence-based medicine should be used both to challenge existing recommendations and to confirm that practices currently in place remain appropriate.
“If high-quality evidence demonstrates that changing the childhood vaccination schedule would improve health outcomes, the schedule should change. Conversely, if rigorous research confirms that the existing schedule provides substantial protection with acceptable risk, there is no scientific justification for changing it simply because questions or concerns have been raised.
“Question the schedule. Formulate the hypothesis. Conduct the research. Analyze and reproduce the findings. Then change the schedule if the evidence demonstrates that doing so will improve the health of our children. It is the scientific process.
“When it comes to childhood vaccination, the standard should be neither blind acceptance nor reflexive rejection. The recommendation should be solely evidence based.”
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Founded in 1807, the Medical Society of the State of New York is the state’s principal non-profit professional organization for physicians, residents, and medical students of all specialties. Its mission is to represent the interests of patients and physicians to assure quality healthcare services for all.
Media Contact:
Roseann Raia | Manager, Communications
Medical Society of the State of New York
865 Merrick Avenue
Westbury, NY 11590
516.488.6100 x302 | [email protected]
Julie Vecchione
Vice President, Communications
Medical Society of the State of New York
865 Merrick Avenue
Westbury, NY 11590
516.488.6100 x340 | [email protected]
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