(The Center Square) – As students begin returning to classrooms across Virginia, the state says a new federal order on childhood vaccines will not change the immunizations required for school.

The Virginia Department of Health said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s executive order does not change the commonwealth’s school immunization requirements or the its recommendations for childhood vaccines.

Virginia will continue recommending that children receive vaccines under the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2026 childhood and adolescent immunization schedule.

Trump signed the executive order Monday, establishing new federal categories for childhood vaccine recommendations and directing federal health agencies to carry them out.

Under the order, some vaccines remain recommended for all children, while others are recommended for certain higher-risk groups or through shared decision-making between families and health care providers.

The order also advises states to review their vaccination laws and regulations, including school immunization requirements.

Virginia officials said the commonwealth’s requirements remain unchanged.

Students attending Virginia schools must provide documentation showing they have received required age-appropriate immunizations. Those requirements include vaccines for diseases such as polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B and chickenpox.

Additional requirements apply as students get older. Tdap is required before seventh grade, and meningococcal vaccination is required before seventh grade with another dose before 12th grade.

Virginia also requires the HPV vaccine before seventh grade, but parents or guardians may choose not to have their child receive it after reviewing information about the vaccine.

“Virginia’s families should be able to trust that our vaccine recommendations are grounded in the best available science and focused on protecting the health and well-being of their children,” State Health Commissioner Dr. Cameron Webb said.

Virginia is also preparing for a broader review of access to childhood and emergency immunizations.

A workgroup created through the 2026 state budget is expected to meet for the first time later this month. It will include health care practitioners, insurance representatives and public health stakeholders who will review Virginia’s laws and regulations governing access to those vaccines.

This post was originally published on The Center Square.