A line outside a Pennsylvania clinic recently showed how much vaccine policy can depend on what happens at the local level. In Yeadon, families arrived with children who needed updated immunizations before returning to school.

Instead of sending students home, school officials worked with the Delaware County health department to provide vaccines nearby.

The clinic vaccinated 42 middle and high school students against diseases including tetanus, pertussis, and meningitis. The effort came as measles cases continued to rise in Pennsylvania, adding pressure on health departments, doctors, schools, and community groups to keep children protected.

The situation also reflects a wider dispute over federal vaccine guidance. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has continued to challenge established vaccine policy, while the Trump administration has moved to change the federal childhood immunization schedule.

At the same time, states and local health agencies are taking different steps to maintain access to vaccines and provide parents with information.

A Local Response

Delaware County has built its back-to-school vaccination campaign around access. Lora Werner, director of the county health department, said the vaccination days have been running for several years and have proved effective.

The county also uses a 33-foot mobile vaccine clinic. The traveling RV can bring vaccinations to community events instead of requiring families to visit a traditional health department location.

School partnerships form another part of the effort. These programs allow health officials to work directly with families before students return to class. Pennsylvania has also increased the amount of vaccination information available to the public.

As of September 14, the report cited 693 measles cases in Pennsylvania and four deaths among state residents. More recent state reporting has put the outbreak total at 731 cases across 38 counties, with four confirmed measles-related deaths. The difference reflects the continuing movement of the outbreak and changes in reporting.

Federal Policy Shifts

Instagram | realdonaldtrump | President Trump’s latest executive order divided childhood and adolescent vaccines into three distinct advisory tiers.

The federal debate intensified in August when President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans.”

The order created three categories for childhood and adolescent vaccines. Eleven immunizations were listed as recommended for all children. Other vaccines were placed under recommendations for certain higher-risk groups or shared clinical decision-making.

The order also called for the combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine, known as MMR, to eventually be offered as three separate vaccines once those products become available in the United States. It also directed federal agencies to work toward giving childhood vaccines at separate medical visits when feasible.

The White House says the changes are intended to give parents more choices and align the US schedule with practices in other developed countries. The order also directs HHS to examine vaccine timing, safety monitoring, research, and alternative vaccine options.

Medical organizations and vaccine researchers have challenged several aspects of the policy. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, has pointed out that the MMR vaccine has been used safely in the US for about six decades.

Separating the MMR vaccine would also require additional appointments if the individual products become available. Doctors have raised concerns that extra visits could create more opportunities for missed vaccinations.

Doctors Face More Questions

The federal changes have placed greater pressure on pediatricians and other healthcare professionals to answer questions that many families previously settled through standard vaccine guidance.

Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the responsibility now includes explaining what scientific evidence shows and maintaining a dependable vaccine schedule.

“Measles is a canary in the coal mine,” Racine said, warning that declining vaccination rates could create concern about other diseases that vaccines can prevent.

CDC data cited in the report showed that kindergarten vaccine exemptions reached a record level for the 2025-26 school year, while kindergarten vaccination rates declined from the previous year. Racine also noted that vaccine hesitancy varies by location, with some rural communities facing greater challenges.

Shaughnessy Naughton, founder of the nonprofit advocacy group 3.14 Action, said parents already face enough uncertainty when preparing children for school. Confusion over vaccine schedules can add another concern.

The debate has also become more visible because Kennedy has continued to question established vaccine policy. FactCheck.org recently reviewed statements from Kennedy and described several vaccine claims as false or misleading.

States Choose Different Sources

The shift in federal guidance has encouraged states to examine how they develop vaccine recommendations.

According to the report, 30 states now rely on sources other than the CDC for childhood vaccine information. Those sources include the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Fifteen states also sued the Trump administration over changes involving the childhood vaccine schedule and the federal vaccine advisory system.

Instagram | medpage | State health officials are raising measles awareness and expanding local access to vaccines across Pennsylvania.

Regional cooperation has become another response. California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii created the West Coast Health Alliance. Fifteen states, including Connecticut, Maine, New York, and Massachusetts, formed the Northeast Public Health Collaborative.

These groups focus on regional communication, infectious disease preparedness, and coordination among public health agencies.

The legal and policy disputes continue alongside the public health response. A federal judge has also blocked some changes to the vaccine advisory system after the American Academy of Pediatrics challenged the administration’s actions.

Pennsylvania Focuses on Access

Pennsylvania has taken several steps to keep vaccination information and services available.

The state health department has used videos and infographics to explain how easily measles can spread. Officials have also worked with local health departments and healthcare providers to increase vaccination opportunities.

The numbers show a notable increase in MMR vaccinations. Pennsylvania providers administered more than 46,000 MMR doses in August, compared with about 31,000 during August of the previous year.

The state has also started publishing school-level vaccination data. That gives parents, school administrators, and public health officials a clearer view of immunization rates in individual communities.

Werner said Delaware County has not experienced a major increase in outright vaccine refusal. Instead, officials have noticed more anxiety. Some parents have questioned whether free vaccination programs will remain available. Others have struggled to understand changing federal messages.

The county responded with an awareness campaign aimed in part at Spanish-speaking families. Officials also continued regular communication with the state health department.

Monica Taylor, a city council member involved in the county’s public health work, said the goal is to meet residents where they are. Mobile clinics help make that possible by bringing vaccinations to parking lots, parks, schools, and community events.

Hawaii’s Experience

Hawaii Governor Josh Green, a physician, has taken a similar approach to public communication. Through the West Coast Health Alliance, Green has promoted local data and direct communication instead of relying only on vaccine mandates.

“I believe that people can and should make some decisions based on their belief system,” Green said. He added that people should receive the best information available before making those decisions.

Green’s position is also shaped by his experience during Samoa’s 2019 measles outbreak. He volunteered as a doctor during the crisis, which killed 83 people, most of them young children.

Green recalled traveling through villages where families had gathered around children who had died from measles. He and other medical workers then returned to those communities to offer vaccinations.

Samoa vaccinated nearly 37,000 people in two days, according to Green, and the outbreak stopped within a week.

His experience has made him particularly concerned about vaccine misinformation. He has compared some of the rhetoric surrounding vaccination today with what he encountered before the Samoa outbreak.

Health Departments Fill the Gap

Facebook | DELCO.Today | Local health departments carry an increasing burden of addressing vaccine safety as measles cases re-emerge.

Local health departments now carry much of the responsibility for explaining vaccine safety and access.

Jeremy Funk, deputy director of the public health project at Protect Our Care, said many doctors are facing measles cases for the first time in their careers. Pediatricians must now spend more time answering questions about vaccine safety and routine immunization.

Delaware County illustrates the challenge. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the largest US county without its own health department. The county created the department during the pandemic and later expanded community-based vaccination services.

That infrastructure now supports school partnerships, mobile clinics, public education, and local vaccination data.

Werner said the current environment remains difficult because of the political division surrounding public health. She stressed the need to reach people who are underinsured, undocumented, or otherwise facing barriers to care.

The county’s approach centers on access and clear information rather than complicated messaging. That includes bringing vaccines closer to families and explaining why vaccination matters during an active measles outbreak.

What Comes Next

The US response to rising measles cases now involves several layers of government and healthcare. Federal vaccine policy is changing, while states, counties, schools, doctors, and advocacy organizations continue to provide information and vaccination services.

The federal government says its new recommendations are intended to increase parental choice and review vaccine safety. Medical organizations and public health officials have raised concerns about the possible effects of reduced routine recommendations and additional vaccine appointments.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s experience shows how local action can continue even when national guidance becomes contested. Mobile clinics, school partnerships, public vaccination data, and direct conversations with families have become important tools.

The measles outbreak has turned childhood vaccination into a major public health issue at the state and local level. Pennsylvania’s response shows how county health departments and healthcare workers can provide practical help while national vaccine policy remains under debate.

For families, the immediate questions are often simple: which vaccines are recommended, where they are available, and what information comes from reliable medical sources.

That makes clear communication especially important. As federal policy continues to change, local health officials, pediatricians, and state agencies remain central to helping families understand vaccination choices and the risks associated with preventable diseases.

Helen Hayward

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