From shifting federal guidance to a patchwork of state responses, vaccine policy in the U.S. is increasingly difficult to follow — and to explain. In 2026, federal guidance, state decisions and medical society recommendations are no longer moving in lockstep, leaving clinicians and families with conflicting signals about which vaccines are recommended, required and covered.
To help journalists report on these changes with clarity and context, the National Press Foundation will hold an online briefing on Wednesday, June 10, noon ET. This webinar will bring together experts in medicine, public health policy and health journalism to give reporters the grounding they need to cover one of the most complex and consequential health policy stories.
Experts will explain how vaccine recommendations are developed and how recent changes made outside the usual process have created uncertainty about what constitutes standard of care, and what that means for patient access and affordability. They will examine vaccine safety systems and how selective use of safety data can fuel public skepticism rather than informed inquiry. The panel will also explain the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program — what it is and why it exists — and how liability shapes the broader system. Finally, experts will outline how state legislatures are responding to federal policy shifts with bills that could expand or restrict access to vaccines, regardless of federal recommendations.
Panelists include:
- Phyllis Arthur, Executive Vice President, Chief of Global Health, Biotechnology Innovation Organization
Whether you cover health, federal or state politics, education, or consumer affairs, the overlapping layers — federal guidance, court orders, state law, insurance coverage, and clinical practice — make accurate and nuanced reporting challenging. This briefing is designed to help. Experts will also take questions from attendees during a live Q&A.
This webinar is sponsored by BIO, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. NPF is solely responsible for its content.
