On January 5, 2026, the Acting Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) signed a decision memorandum to the update the national childhood and adolescent immunization recommendations following a federally directed review. The CDC Childhood Immunization Schedule now recommends 11 core vaccines for universal administration, a reduction from the previous 17.¹

Following a thorough review of recent federal policy announcements, Cigna Healthcare^® will continue to cover all 17 vaccines included in the updated CDC childhood immunization schedule as preventive services under our medical plans.

Your patients whose Cigna Healthcare benefit plans cover preventive services at 100% will continue to have access to these vaccines at no additional cost, regardless of whether the vaccine is universally recommended, risk-based, or subject to shared decision-making. Our commitment to informed, shared decision-making between patients and providers remains unchanged.

Importance of timely vaccination

As you know, timely childhood vaccination remains essential to preventing serious and highly contagious diseases such as measles. In 2025, the U.S. reported 2,065 confirmed measles cases, the highest annual total in more than 30 years, with 88% of cases linked to outbreaks and 93% occurring in individuals who were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status.² During the 2024–2025 school year, MMR coverage among U.S. kindergartners was 92.5%, below the 95% level typically needed to maintain community protection.^{3, 4}

Vaccination delays early in life can have lasting effects on adherence. A 2026 study found that timely receipt of the first MMR vaccine declined by 3 percentage points between 2021 and 2024, the proportion of children who had not received any MMR vaccine by age two increased to 7.7%, and children who were late receiving the two- and four- month vaccines were six to seven times more likely to miss the MMR vaccine entirely by age two.⁵

Providers should continue to assess immunization status at every well‑child visit, intervene promptly when children fall behind, and proactively engage families to keep vaccinations on schedule to reduce the risk of preventable disease and outbreaks.

Your recommendation is critical

With this announcement, patients are likely to have questions about vaccine guidance and what is recommended for their child. Research shows that starting vaccine conversations with a presumptive recommendation is associated with significantly higher parent acceptance. In contrast, participatory openings are associated with 17.5 times higher odds of parental resistance. Additionally, when parents initially resisted, nearly half accepted vaccination after the provider clearly and empathetically reaffirmed the original recommendation.⁶

Here is a sample conversation to help outline this approach:

• Presumptive recommendation: Today, your child is due for the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. We’ll give that before you leave to keep them protected and on schedule.
• Listen to hesitation: Many parents have questions about MMR. Can you tell me what’s on your mind?
• Validate: That’s understandable, and it’s my role to help you sort through what’s accurate and what keeps your child safe.
• Reaffirm recommendation: Based on research and what we’re seeing right now, I strongly recommend the MMR vaccine today. Measles is extremely contagious, and we’re seeing more cases than we have in decades. MMR works best when it’s given on time, before children are exposed.

Cigna Healthcare coverage and HEDIS measures

Routine vaccinations are typically covered at no cost to your patients with Cigna Healthcare coverage when administered at in-network locations, which your patients can find by logging in to myCigna.com or visiting Cigna.com > Find a Doctor.

Additionally, these updates do not impact coverage under the Preventive Care Services Coverage Policy (A004) and the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS^®)⁷ measures remain unchanged. 

Additional information and resources

• Routine immunizations and HEDIS measures: Visit the Routine Immunizations and the Value of a Provider Recommendation web page for additional resources on discussing vaccinations with patients and details on the HEDIS requirements.
• Hepatitis B vaccine: Visit the Hepatitis B vaccine: Coverage remains unchanged following ACIP update web page for information on the recent vaccine updates.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine: Visit The power of the provider to drive HPV vaccine acceptance web page for additional resources on discussing the HPV vaccine.
• Flu vaccine: Visit the Boosting flu vaccine confidence: Essential insights for providers web page for additional resources on discussing the flu vaccine.
• Current childhood immunization schedule: Visit AAP-Immunization-Schedule.pdf for the latest recommendations.
• Coverage details: Review the Preventive Care Services Coverage Policy (A004).
• Evidence-based vaccine resources: Access additional evidence‑based vaccination information on the American Academy of Pediatrics website.
• Behavioral health support: Change to public health recommendations can cause uncertainty for patients. A guide is available for to support primary care providers in the diagnosis and treatment of behavioral health conditions. You may also share the following resources with your patients:

-For tools and information to support whole-person health, visit the Wellness Library | Cigna web page.

-For patients with behavioral coverage through Evernorth^® Behavioral Health, visit theEvernorth Provider – Resources – Resources for Members web page.

¹ CDC Acts on Presidential Memorandum to Update Childhood Immunization Schedule | HHS.gov

² Measles Cases and Outbreaks | Measles (Rubeola) | CDC

³ Vaccination Coverage and Exemptions among Kindergartners | SchoolVaxView | CDC

⁴ About Global Measles | Global Measles Vaccination | CDC

⁵ Delayed or Absent First Dose of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccination | Infectious Diseases | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network

⁶ The Architecture of Provider-Parent Vaccine Discussions at Health Supervision Visits | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics

⁷ HEDIS is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).