Health and Human Services Agency
California Department of Public Health

September 24, 2025

TO:

Health care Providers

SUBJECT:

New Law Impacting California’s Immunization Policies & Updated Respiratory Virus 2025-2026 Recommendations

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for all that you do to protect the health of people in California. Recently, state law was updated to ensure Californians have access to life-saving vaccines and screenings.

Background

California has also joined Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii in the West Coast Health Alliance (WCHA). This partnership ensures our public health strategies use the best available science. CDPH will always make evidence-based recommendations that support safety, efficacy, transparency, access, and trust.

The following guidance follows California’s decisive action to protect vaccine access and health insurance coverage for vaccines necessary to protect the public, especially for the upcoming winter respiratory virus season. We wanted to make sure you have the latest information on immunization recommendations in California.

Changes to Immunization Policies 

CDPH Recommendations: The new law creates a baseline immunization recommendation for California based on the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) immunization recommendations in effect on January 1, 2025. CDPH is authorized to update recommendations as needed taking into consideration guidance from professional organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG); these organizations have provided immunization guidance for decades. 

Provisions of the new law immediately affect:  

Insurance coverage: Vaccines will continue to be covered by health care insurers regulated by the Department of Managed Health Care (PDF).   
Liability coverage: Prescribing, dispensing, ordering, furnishing or administering vaccines recommended by CDPH is protected from liability. Liability protection will sunset in 2030 unless renewed by the Legislature. 
Pharmacist vaccination: Pharmacists may administer immunizations recommended by CDPH to patients three years and older without a prescription from a physician.

CDPH & WCHA recommend the following 2025-2026 winter respiratory virus immunizations.

Information on groups at higher risk for severe COVID-19 (PDF) and dosing recommendations for COVID-19 vaccine (PDF) are available on the CDPH website.

In addition, regardless of recent federal deliberations, CDPH continues to recommend a birth dose of Hepatitis B vaccine and that parents have an option to choose a combination measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine for their children for their first dose. CDPH will provide related guidance regarding to the California Vaccines for Children program shortly. CDPH will continue to update recommendations on its Public Health For All webpage.

Serving with and for you,   

Dr. Erica Pan, MD, MPH, FIDSA, FAAP  

CDPH Director and Public Health Officer 