Political interference in vaccination policy and transnational implications for Latin America and the Caribbean

The Lancet Regional Health - Americas 2026 Open access

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Authors: María L. Ávila-Agüero, Luiza Helena Falleiros-Arlant, Xavier Sáez-Llorens, Jose Manuel Brea, Carlos Torres-Martínez, Angela Gentile, Flor M. Muñoz
DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2026.101426
Cited by: 1
References: 4

Abstract

The United States (US) exerts strong normative and symbolic influence in global health, with its public health recommendations often echoed in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Recent changes in childhood and maternal vaccination guidance by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) carry potential transnational implications. Once grounded in a solid scientific framework and consensus, US immunisation policy has become increasingly politicised after the COVID-19 pandemic, a shift associated with lower vaccine acceptance, reduced coverage, and higher morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases—trends that heighten concern about their ripple effects beyond US borders.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy Global Security and Public Health Policy Transfer and Learning

Publication details

Journal / source
The Lancet Regional Health - Americas
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
57
Pages
101426–101426
Publication date
26 February 2026
Language
EN