On October 8, 2025, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) affirmed that Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program will continue to support access to safe, effective vaccinations at no out-of-pocket cost for Pennsylvanians whose health care is covered by Medicaid. In addition, there will be no changes in vaccine coverage for children enrolled in Pennsylvania’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). 

This directive aligns with Governor Josh Shapiro’s recent Executive Order2025-02, which ensures children, families, and seniors have continued access to safe, effective vaccines and directs state agencies to align with leading medical experts to safeguard Pennsylvanians’ health – protecting freedom to make informed, evidence-based health care decisions. In the midst of ongoing confusion and changes to vaccine recommendations at the federal level, DHS – which oversees Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program – will continue to ensure that all Medicaid recipients have access to vaccines. Under the Executive Order, the vaccine recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) – all of which are listed as competent authorities in the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDH) recent General Immunization Guidance – will be covered at no cost for Medicaid-enrolled beneficiaries. This directive also protects children covered by CHIP’s access to vaccines, which aligns their vaccine coverage with AAP recommendations.

According to DHS and PDH, vaccines are a rigorously tested, safe, and effective way to protect people from diseases and keep communities healthy. To support all Pennsylvanians’ right and freedom to make informed decisions about their health care in consultation with their doctors, Governor Shapiro’s Executive Order establishes plans to create a state-based program to protect children’s access to vaccines, aligns state policies with trusted medical experts, ensures continued coverage of recommended vaccines for all Pennsylvanians through Medicaid and private insurance, and creates a Vaccine Education Workgroup to strengthen public communication and combat misinformation.

More than three million Pennsylvanians – or 1 in 4 people – get their health care coverage through Medicaid in Pennsylvania. With this coverage, people can see a doctor, get vaccines, fill prescriptions, and access preventive services like health screenings. This coverage is vital to helping people stay healthy, take care of their families, and contribute to our economy. DHS encourages Pennsylvanians who need health coverage or other benefits to apply at any time at www.dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS.

Read more about  Executive Order 2025-02, Protecting Pennsylvanians’ Health and Freedom by Ensuring Access to Safe and Effective Vaccines and visit www.pa.gov/vaccines to find evidence-based information for families, providers, and the public.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is highlighting a suite of resources to support you and your staff during the 2025-26 school year. In line with Governor Josh Shapiro’s focus on anti-discrimination and digital literacy, educators can access these tools through the Standards-Aligned Portal (SAS) to promote student safety and well-being within their school community. 

1. Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Toolkit
   Studying the Holocaust provides critical insights into key concepts like democracy, dictatorship, propaganda, collaboration, resistance, and genocide. To support this, a new toolkit provides educators with a range of resources, including videos, lesson plans, and classroom materials that can be adapted for both virtual and in-person learning
   Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Toolkit – SAS 
2. Information and Media Literacy (IML) Toolkit
   The IML Toolkit provides educators and families with resources to help Pennsylvania’s youth navigate the digital world. By incorporating information literacy into learning, the toolkit helps students distinguish fact from fiction, promoting online safety and healthy digital skills for the next generation.
   Information and Media Literacy Toolkit – SAS
3. Disability Inclusive Curriculum Toolkit
   The PDE Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program aims to educate all K-12 students about the political, economic, and social contributions of individuals with disabilities by promoting the accurate and regular representation of disability in all aspects of school life.
   The program teaches students that disability is a natural part of the human condition.
   The toolkit is inclusive of all age/grade levels. It includes sample lesson plans, professional development offerings/opportunities, ideas for implementing a disability inclusive curriculum, disability-led organizational contacts, and other resources.
   PA Disability Inclusive Curriculum Pilot Program – SAS
4. Bullying Prevention Resources
   The PDE Center for Safe Schools’ (CSS) bullying and peer abuse prevention resources are informed by more than 25 years of research and practice, including Preventing Bullying Through Science Policy and Practice, a report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
   The CSS Bullying Prevention website includes the following:
   -Needs Survey
   -Sample Letter to Schools
   -Flyers -Definition of Bullying
   -Types of Bullying
   -Rough Play, Conflict, Bullying Characteristics
   Safe and Supportive Schools: Bullying Prevention – SAS
5. Youth Suicide Awareness and Prevention, and Child Exploitation Awareness Education The PDE Office of School Climate and Well-being has youth suicide awareness and child exploitation awareness resources to assist educators in all grade levels, including:
   -Policies and Procedures
   -Task Forces -Suicide Prevention Plan
   -Curriculum Guidelines -Prevent Suicide PA (Program)
   -Student Programs -Professional Development
   -Crisis Resources
   -School Resources and Materials
   Safe and Supportive Schools: Mental Health – SAS

PDE wishes everyone a safe and successful school year. Its Division of Instructional Quality (DIQ) is available to assist with the above resources or any of our SAS Toolkits. You may contact DIQ at RA-EDINSTQUALITY@pa.gov .

On October 1, 2025, Governor Josh Shapiro signed Executive Order 2025-02 at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to safeguard vaccine access for Pennsylvanians and protect families’ freedom to make their own health care decisions.

The Executive Order directs the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PDH) to establish a state-based safety net to protect children’s access to vaccines, requires all state agencies to align policies with trusted medical experts, launches a central online vaccine portal, and creates a Vaccine Education Workgroup to strengthen public communication and combat misinformation. It also ensures continued coverage of recommended vaccines for all Pennsylvanians through Medicaid and private insurance, and directs the PA Department of Education (PDE) to support and schools in following evidence-based guidance.

Click here to view Executive Order 2025-02, Protecting Pennsylvanians’ Health and Freedom by Ensuring Access to Safe and Effective Vaccines.

In the midst of rising misinformation and violent rhetoric online, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is providing an Information and Media Literacy Toolkit, which equips students, teachers, and parents with skills and tools to recognize biases, distinguish credible information from misinformation, and use digital spaces responsibly. Governor Shapiro directed PDE and the Office of Commonwealth Libraries to develop resources to help schools incorporate information literacy into all aspects of learning, ensuring that Pennsylvania students have the skills to navigate the world around them. Following this directive, PDE surveyed schools to better understand digital literacy instruction, and 90 percent of responding schools indicated that a comprehensive toolkit with additional media and information literacy resources would be useful.

Click here to access the toolkit.