The Relentless School Nurses: Your Voice is Your Power – Defend Science-Based Vaccine Policy Now

In a time when science and public health are under unprecedented scrutiny, the role of school nurses in safeguarding student health has never been more critical. Vaccines remain a cornerstone of public health, offering unmatched protection against preventable illnesses across populations.

 The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) position statement: Immunization and Vaccination Requirements  is clear: 

NASN Position

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that timely, up-to-date, and complete required vaccinations for members of the school population are essential to protecting school-age youth, staff, and the public from preventable, serious infectious diseases. School immunization requirements should align with the best available, scientifically rigorous evidence. Vaccine exemptions should be eliminated, except when necessary for validated medical contraindications. Professional registered nurses (RNs), hereinafter referred to as school nurses, provide expertise and leadership in applying evidence-based immunization information and strategies to prevent and reduce the spread of infectious diseases. School nurses collaborate with other health professionals, families, and school staff to protect the health of each student as well as the public’s health.

Vaccines Save Lives

Vaccines protect our students, staff, and communities from diseases that can cause serious illness, lifelong disability, and even death. NASN’s position aligns with recommendations from trusted authorities such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization. Immunization requirements for school entry prevent missed school days and keep students healthy and ready to learn.

Importantly, NASN boldly calls for eliminating vaccine exemptions except for validated medical contraindications, because data consistently show that fewer exemptions lead to higher vaccine coverage and stronger community protection.

School Nurses Lead the Way

Every day, school nurses apply their expertise to increase vaccination rates by educating families, addressing vaccine hesitancy with empathy and facts, tracking immunization records, and coordinating vaccination clinics. We are uniquely positioned as trusted advocates to ensure equitable access to vaccines for all students.

What’s on the Agenda?

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet virtually December 4-5, 2025, to discuss and make important vaccine schedule decisions affecting millions of children and adults nationwide. These decisions will influence vaccination policies for school entry, federally funded programs like Vaccines for Children, and insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

ACIP will review updates from its scientific workgroups and consider recommendations for vaccines that include COVID-19, hepatitis B, MMR, varicella, RSV, and more. They will also finalize parts of the vaccine schedule for 2025-2026. These decisions are not just lines on paper; they directly influence vaccine access, school health protocols, and community safety.

Here is the description of the purpose of this ACIP meeting, reprinted from the call for public comments:

Federal Register Notice – Docket ID: CDC-2025-0783-0001

   Purpose: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is charged with advising the Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on the use of immunizing agents. In addition, under 42 U.S.C. 1396s, the Committee is mandated to establish and periodically review and, as appropriate, revise the list of vaccines for administration to vaccine-eligible children through the Vaccines for Children program, along with schedules regarding dosing interval, dosage, and contraindications to administration of vaccines. Further, under applicable provisions of the Affordable Care Act and section 2713 of the Public Health Service Act, immunization recommendations of ACIP that have been adopted by the Director, CDC, and appear on CDC immunization schedules generally must be covered by applicable health plans.

Matters to be Considered: The agenda will include discussions on vaccine safety, the childhood and adolescent immunization schedule, and hepatitis B vaccines. The agenda will include updates on ACIP workgroups. Recommendation votes may be scheduled for hepatitis B vaccines. Vaccines for Children (VFC) votes may be scheduled for hepatitis B vaccines. Agenda items are subject to change as priorities dictate. For more information on the meeting agenda, visit https://www.cdc.gov/acip/index.html.

Meeting Information: The meeting will be webcast live via the World Wide Web. For more information on ACIP, please visit the ACIP website https://www.cdc.gov/acip.

Why This Meeting Is So Important Right Now

Recently, the entire ACIP board was fired and replaced with individuals known for anti-vaccine beliefs, a move orchestrated by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This unprecedented shake-up threatens to undo decades of evidence-based progress. It puts at risk the trusted, scientific guidance that school nurses rely on every day to protect children against preventable diseases.

How to Make Our Voices Heard

ACIP has opened a public comment period from November 13 to November 24, 2025. This is a critical opportunity for school nurses, parents, educators, and community members to weigh in on vaccine recommendations. Your comments can help ensure the committee bases its decisions on the best scientific evidence and public health principles.

How To Submit Your Public Comment

• Visit regulations.gov/docket/CDC-2025-0783

• Submit your written comments before midnight on November 24, 2025.

• You may also request to provide oral comments during the virtual meeting by 11:59 PM on November 24, 2025

Why Your Input Matters

We know that vaccination policies shaped today will impact health outcomes for children across the country for years to come. By joining the public comment process, you help protect evidence-based immunization standards from erosion and support school nurses’ work to keep students safe and in school.

I urge you: don’t sit on the sidelines. Speak up for science, for our children, and for the health of your community. Together, we create a safer future—one vaccine at a time.

For more resources on immunization, visit NASN’s professional practice documents at NASN Professional Practice Documents!

Feel free to use my public comment as an example, submitted November 22, 2025:

Subject: Public Comment for ACIP Meeting Docket CDC-2025-0783 — Upholding Science-Based Immunization Policies

To the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and CDC Leadership,

I am writing as a certified school nurse and public health advocate in response to the call for public comments for the December 4-5, 2025, ACIP meeting (Docket CDC-2025-0783). I appreciate the opportunity to provide input on critical vaccine schedule decisions that affect the health of millions of children and adults in the United States.

Vaccination remains one of the greatest public health achievements, preventing serious infectious diseases and protecting communities. I strongly support up-to-date, timely immunization according to rigorous scientific evidence, including the maintenance of key vaccines such as hepatitis B, COVID-19, MMR, and varicella on the recommended schedule.

I am deeply concerned about recent disruptions to ACIP’s membership and processes that risk undermining decades of trust in science-based vaccine policy. Any deviation from evidence-driven recommendations threatens to increase vaccine hesitancy, lower immunization coverage, and expose vulnerable populations to preventable diseases.

I urge the committee to:

• Maintain and reinforce transparent, rigorous, evidence-based review processes.

• Retain all vaccines currently recommended on the childhood and adolescent immunization schedules until there is clear, robust new evidence to justify changes.

• Ensure equitable access to vaccines through continued support of federally funded programs such as Vaccines for Children.

• Protect policies that prioritize the health of school-age youth and prevent outbreaks that disrupt learning and community well-being.

I encourage ACIP to uphold its mission by basing all vaccine recommendations on sound science and broad stakeholder engagement. 

Respectfully,
[Your Name]
[Your Credentials and Affiliation]
[Contact Information]

The time for action is now. As school nurses, advocates, and community members, we hold the power to shape vaccine policies that safeguard our children’s futures. This December 4th & 5th, crucial decisions will be made that affect not only immunization schedules but also the health and safety of entire communities. What we need is a united surge—raising our voices and striking our keyboards—to fiercely defend and preserve the proven, science-based vaccination schedule that protects millions. Don’t wait for someone else to speak up. Stand with us, speak up loudly, and make sure your message is heard during this critical public comment period. Together, we can ensure that science, equity, and public health triumph over misinformation and complacency. Our children depend on it. Our future depends on it.