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Vaccination Policies and the Impact on the Cancer Community: The Important Role of Childhood Immunization

March 30, 2026

ACS CAN’s Vaccination Policies and the Impact on the Cancer Community: The Important Role of Childhood Immunization report outlines the critical importance of childhood immunizations for people with cancer and their families, and why maintaining high vaccination coverage among children and the broader community is essential to protecting public health and ensuring that progress against cancer is not undermined.

Key findings include:

  • Vaccinations help protect the more than 18 million Americans with a history of invasive cancer. Because cancer and its treatment can weaken the immune system, many patients and survivors face an increased risk from infectious diseases. High childhood vaccination rates help reduce the spread of infection, protecting those most vulnerable.
  • Childhood vaccinations are a powerful tool in preventing viruses that cause cancer. Up to 90% of cervical cancers can be prevented through HPV vaccination, and the hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine can reduce a person’s risk of developing liver cancer by about 84%. HPV vaccination is a primary driver of the unprecedented decline in cervical cancer risk across successive generations, with women born in the 1990s experiencing about half the cervical cancer incidence of women born in the 1970s.
  • Childhood vaccination rates have been steadily declining. During the 2024–2025 school year, coverage for all routine kindergarten vaccines fell nationwide. Vaccination rates need to reach a threshold of 95% to achieve community immunity against communicable diseases. Declines in childhood vaccination coverage pose a direct risk to cancer patients and their families, many of whom are immunocompromised and rely on high community vaccination coverage for protection.
  • A 2026 American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Survivor Views survey found that cancer patients and survivors consistently emphasize the importance of vaccination to protect themselves and their communities from preventable infectious diseases. However, vaccine-related confusion is affecting patient decision-making, with nearly one in six cancer patients and survivors (16%) reporting that they delayed or skipped a recommended vaccine due to confusion stemming from recent debate and changes to federal recommendations.

To learn more about the report’s findings and read stories from cancer patients about the impact vaccinations have on their ability to stay healthy, download the report here.

PDF icon Vaccination Policies and the Impact on Cancer Patients: The Important Role of Childhood Immunization

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