HHS asks clinicians whether federal vaccine-recommendation categories should change — comments due September 20; nothing changes yet

HHS announced Request for Information HHS-OS-2026-0332 on August 21; the Federal Register notice is document 2026-17250 (91 FR 54724). It asks whether the current routine, risk-based, and shared-clinical-decision-making/individual-based categories are clear and adequate, whether additional categories are needed, and how evidence, consent, autonomy, feasibility, trust, and program consequences should shape them.

Comments are due September 20, 2026. The notice specifically invites clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, immunization providers, health plans, public-health officials, researchers, and community-based organizations; FQHC participation is therefore a direct audience inference, not an FQHC-specific mandate.

The operational stakes are bounded but real: the notice says an adopted shared-decision recommendation currently triggers the same Affordable Care Act no-cost coverage and Vaccines for Children availability as a routine recommendation, and asks how any category changes should preserve access, predictable coverage, program eligibility, injury-compensation treatment, and state-law consistency.

Most important boundary: this is an RFI, not a rule or recommendation, and it changes no existing vaccine recommendation, coverage requirement, or program obligation. Comments become public, including personal information placed in the comment or attachments; health centers should submit organization-approved evidence and never include patient information.