On July 31, the Senate Appropriations Committee released its fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) appropriations bill and report. The bipartisan bill provides $116.6 billion in discretionary funding for HHS, an increase of $446 million, and does not follow the Trump Administration’s proposed restructuring of HHS agencies and programs. The CDC program level total is $9.152 billion, about $70 million below the FY24 enacted level. The National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases is funded at $913 million, which includes about $555 million in transfers from the PPH Fund, a decrease of $6 million from the FY25 appropriation by eliminating dedicated funding for Acute Flaccid Myelitis.

 

The 317 Immunization Program received level funding at $681.933 million.

 

The report includes the following language relevant to the 317 Program:

 

• 317 Immunization Program.—The Committee recognizes CDC’s immunization program plays a fundamental role in achieving national immunization goals and sustaining high vaccination coverage. In addition, this program underpins the protection of all children being vaccinated, even those fully insured, by providing Federal, State, and local resources to investigate outbreaks, conduct surveillance, and provide public awareness campaigns to address vaccine hesitancy that continues to be the root cause of outbreaks for measles and other preventable diseases. The Committee continues to expect funding be used to promote vaccinations for vaccine preventable diseases [VPDs] as well as address vaccine hesitancy using well-established science. CDC is encouraged to expand the existing immunization infrastructure, including implementing new strategies for hard-to-reach populations, such as those who may be vaccine-hesitant and those who are underserved due to socioeconomic or other reasons. The Committee requests an update in the fiscal year 2027 CJ on the rate of routine vaccination across all ages, as well as a forward-looking plan to administer missed doses.

 

• Accelerate the Elimination of HPV-Related Cancer and Disease.— Human papillomavirus [HPV]-related cancers remain an alarming public health concern in the United States, impacting nearly 40,000 Americans each year and is the leading cause of cervical cancer. Each year, approximately 200,000 women are diagnosed with cervical pre-cancer, 13,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer caused by HPV, and approximately 4,000 women die from cervical cancer in the United States. The evidence shows that HPV vaccination is extremely effective at preventing over 90 percent of HPV-related cancers when given between the recommended ages of 9 and 12. Yet, CDC data from 2023 shows that only 61 percent of children ages 13–17 were up to date with HPV vaccination, which is significantly less than the ‘‘Healthy People 2030’’ goal of 80 percent. While all childhood and adolescent vaccinations declined during the pandemic, the HPV vaccine rates experienced the largest decrease and have been the slowest to rebound to pre-pandemic levels. The Committee urges CDC to take immediate action to expand access to HPV vaccination, including by: updating the immunization information system at the Federal level to enable standardized forecasting of HPV vaccination at age 9 across the country; supporting providers and trusted voices to engage patients with a strong recommendation for HPV vaccination as cancer prevention; and continuing to reduce health disparities and barriers to care for underserved communities.

 

• Acute Flaccid Myelitis [AFM].—The Committee recommends CDC continue its work to review suspected cases of AFM, examine possible risk factors and causes of AFM, and update clinicians about AFM diagnosis, management, and possible treatment options.

 

• Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices [ACIP].—ACIP serves a critical role in the control of vaccine-preventable diseases. The Committee recognizes the essential role of experts serving on ACIP who have the experience necessary to make informed recommendations regarding vaccine policy, which also serves to ensure the public’s trust in ACIP and its recommendations. Congress has codified, under several Federal statutes, policies that link to ACIP’s recommendations for vaccine-preventable diseases, including requirements for insurance coverage of certain vaccinations. In order to promote transparency, the Committee directs CDC to work in collaboration with medical professional societies to help determinate any updates necessary for the immunization schedules.

 

• Cost Estimates.—The Committee reiterates the request for the Fiscal Year 2024 report, included in Public Law 118–47, and requests that the report on estimated funding needs of the Section 317 Immunization Program subsequently be updated and sub[1]mitted not later than February 1, 2026, to the Committees on Appropriations. The updated report should include an estimate of optimum State and local operations funding, as well as a discussion of the role of the 317 Program, as coverage for vaccination under public and private resources continues to evolve. Estimates should also be included to address the needs of outbreak investigation and response, particularly as measles cases are increasing. The Committee also requests that the report include specific information on the estimated cost to fully address evidence-based public health strategies that could be funded through CDC to improve coverage for HPV and influenza.

 

• Long COVID.—The Committee encourages CDC to monitor and track incidence of Long COVID among children and adults, including developing a patient registry for Long COVID.

 

• National Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program.—The Committee recognizes that the National Perinatal Hepatitis B Program [PHBPP] is critical to preventing chronic liver disease and liver cancer. The Committee is aware that hepatitis B is most commonly spread from mother-to-child due to blood exchange during the birthing process, and that approximately 90 percent of children who are exposed to the hepatitis B virus will develop a chronic infection if they do not receive proper care. PHBPP provides integral services to prevent lifelong chronic liver disease, such as tracking perinatal hepatitis B infections, providing the hepatitis B birth dose, and ensuring hepatitis B immunization series completion for infants exposed to hepatitis B. The Committee urges CDC to maintain PHBPP, and to continue to fund all current participants in the program in order to eliminate one of the leading causes of liver cancer.

 

• Non-Influenza Respiratory Viruses.—Respiratory viruses cause substantial illness and death in the United States, especially in young children, older adults, and people with underlying health conditions. The Committee recognizes the importance of a strong capacity at CDC to address respiratory viruses and supports CDC’s work to address respiratory illnesses holistically, with the capacity to identify and assess characteristics of viruses to inform vaccines and therapeutics, quantify the burden such viruses place on the health of Americans, and the effectiveness of vaccines and other preventive measures.

 

• Promoting Routine Vaccination.—The Committee is concerned about declining rates of vaccination among children ages 24 months and entering kindergarten, resulting in increased outbreaks in preventable, infectious diseases including measles and whooping cough across States. The Committee requests CDC provide an update in the fiscal year 2027 CJ on the vaccine education efforts and the rate of routine vaccination across all ages, as well as an update on the plan to administer missed doses, prioritizing areas with the largest reduction in routine coverage rates. CDC should include updated recommendations about what other tools it could employ to address this issue, as well as a plan to strengthen efforts to combat misinformation about vaccines and vaccination, which are contributing to confusion and hesitancy.

 

• Vaccines for Children Program.—The Vaccines for Children [VFC] program provides safe, effective, and life-saving immunizations for millions of children each year, including the hepatitis B immunization. The hepatitis B immunization alone has prevented 90,100 childhood deaths in the U.S. since 1994—the fourth highest number of deaths prevented out of all 14 of the childhood immunizations. Additionally, all vaccines in the VFC program have gone through multiple rounds of scientific review and rigorous approval processes by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and ACIP. The hepatitis B vaccine has been administered over 1 billion times since its discovery—a clear testament to its safety and efficacy. The Committee urges CDC to continue to fund and maintain the VFC in an effort to prevent chronic illness and death in the United States.

 

Other funding related to immunization capacity and infrastructure includes:

• Level funding at just over $231 million for CDC’s Influenza Planning and Response program.

• $160 million for Public Health Data Modernization efforts.

• Level funding for the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant program at $160 million.

 

The text of the FY26 Senate Labor-HHS bill text can be found here, and the bill report can be found here.