Key Takeaways
- Infection prevention and control (IPC) professionals face uncertainty and urgency in 2026 due to potential changes in policy, funding, workforce stability, vaccination, and technology.
- Declining vaccination rates and the rise of vaccine-preventable diseases are major concerns, driven by misinformation, pandemic disruption, and inadequate funding.
- The IPC workforce is under pressure, with potential declines in Master of Public Health enrollment and staffing shortages in infection prevention departments.
- Technology, such as artificial intelligence, may help automate manual chart review and case detection, but will not solve systemic challenges.
- IPC professionals must adapt to changing circumstances and prioritize data analysis, intervention, and patient safety.
Introduction to the Challenges of 2026
As infection prevention and control (IPC) professionals look toward 2026, they are met with a sense of uncertainty and urgency. The Infection Control Today Editorial Advisory Board and winners of the Infection Control Today Educator of the Year award have identified several key challenges that will shape the field in the coming year. These challenges include potential changes in policy, funding, workforce stability, vaccination, and technology. Alexander Sundermann, DrPH, CIC, FAPIC, AL-CIP, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Division of Infectious Diseases, raised concerns about the potential elimination or reduction of the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and its impact on healthcare-associated infections (HAI) research funding and translational tools for IPC.
The Impact of Policy and Funding Changes
Brenna Doran, PhD, MA, ACC, CIC, AL-CIP, consultant/coach for Innovative Partners Institute, described 2026 as a pivotal moment, shaped by external forces beyond IPC professionals’ control. She noted that unpredictable changes in US healthcare policy and continued financial pressure on hospitals could directly affect staffing and program stability. This could lead to hiring freezes or layoffs for IPC professionals and other non-revenue-generating support programs, despite their critical patient safety value. Doran also highlighted the potential benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) in automating manual chart review and case detection, which could reduce the burden on IPC professionals and improve data accuracy.
The Concerns of Declining Vaccination Rates
Several board members expressed deep concern about declining vaccination rates and the consequences that are already emerging. Patty Montgomery, MPH, RN, CIC, FAPIC, the 2025 Infection Control Today Educator of the Year award winner, predicted an uptick in vaccine-preventable diseases due to confusing guidance and loss of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies that will make it more difficult to get care. Shannon Simmons, DHSc, MPH, CIC, MLS(ASCP), AL-CIP, the program manager for ambulatory infection prevention for CHRISTUS Health in Dallas, Texas, echoed this concern, calling vaccination one of the greatest public health achievements now undermined by sociopolitical complexity. Matthew Pullen, MD, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School, offered a stark prediction, stating that childhood vaccination rates will continue to decline, leading to a steady rise in vaccine-preventable illnesses like measles and mumps.
The Pressures on the IPC Workforce
Workforce sustainability emerged as another major pressure point, with Shahbaz Salehi, MD, MPH, MSHIA, director of infection prevention and control and employee health at Foothill Regional Medical Center in Tustin, California, predicting a significant decline in Master of Public Health enrollment. Jenny Hayes, MSN, RN, CIC, CAIP, director of infection prevention for Jefferson Health—New Jersey, Stratford, expanded this concern to include MSN and DNP professionals who often lead infection prevention departments, creating a convergence of leadership and staffing shortages. Eddie Jay LeCastillo, MSN, RN, CNL, CRRN, CIC, LTC-CIP, infection control nurse, for the O’Connor Hospital County of Santa Clara health System and the nursing manager for the Regional Medical Center of San Jose in San Jose, California, echoed this sentiment, predicting that IPC professionals will increasingly lean into technology, particularly AI embedded within electronic health records, as budgets tighten.
A Shift Toward Realism and Practicality
Despite these headwinds, several board members emphasized a shift toward realism and practicality. Fibi Attia, MD, MPH, CIC, infection control coordinator for Penn State Health, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, described infection prevention entering a more realistic phase, with less emphasis on perfect compliance and more focus on what works in real life. She highlighted ongoing challenges from resistant organisms such as Candida auris, staffing shortages, and burnout, while stressing that technology should support, not replace, human judgment. Sherrie Busby, EDDA, CDSO, CDIPC, a dental hygiene consultant and former dental assistant, noted that 2026 will be pivotal for dental infection control following the transfer of oversight from the CDC to the Association for Dental Safety.
Conclusion and the Future of IPC
In conclusion, the perspectives of the Infection Control Today Editorial Advisory Board and winners of the Infection Control Today Educator of the Year award paint a complex picture of infection prevention in 2026. The field stands between innovation and retrenchment, between data-driven possibility and shrinking resources. Success will depend on whether healthcare leaders view IPC programs as expendable overhead or as strategic assets essential to resilience, safety, and trust. As Doran summarized, the ultimate success will depend on whether healthcare leadership views IPC programs as liabilities to be cut or as strategic assets essential for future resilience and patient safety. For IPC professionals, adaptation is inevitable, and whether that adaptation leads to progress or regression remains the defining question of the year ahead.
