WMA Council Resolution on Childhood Vaccination Schedules

Adopted by the 232nd WMA Council session, Belgrade, Serbia, April 2026

PREAMBLE

The World Medical Association is concerned by changes to childhood vaccination schedules that are not evidence-based.

Although we recognise each country’s independence in health matters, history has shown us time and again how decisions on epidemiological matters can affect the entire world, and even more so in today’s globalised context.

Changes to childhood vaccination schedules that are not evidence-based can lead to the resurgence of diseases previously on the verge of extinction, compromising global health and threatening the future of the children worldwide. An outbreak of measles or meningitis endangers the most vulnerable populations and can spread to other nearby countries, especially those with very limited response capacity.

RECOMMENDATION

Recalling its Statement on the Priority of Immunisation, the WMA warns against changes to childhood vaccination schedules that are not evidence-based and emphasises the WMA’s commitment to universal vaccination and its importance as a cornerstone of progress in a globalised world.