Format your manuscript to the MMWR Recommendations and Reports requirements — abstract, numbered Vancouver style references, and required declarations — and submit through the CDC/MMWR editorial process without a formatting rejection.
4.5
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 19 August, 2026
Most manuscripts sent to MMWR Recommendations and Reports don’t stumble on the science — they stumble on formatting caught at the first editorial check. This template is built around MMWR Recomm Rep’s actual requirements — its abstract rules, numbered Vancouver style references, and the required declarations — so your submission clears screening on the first pass. Everything below tracks the MMWR Recomm Rep author guidelines; check it directly if anything looks out of date by the time you submit.
It’s a manuscript shell set up to MMWR Recomm Rep’s specifications for public health guidelines and policy recommendations. MMWR Recommendations and Reports is published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The shell covers the title page, the abstract, a body in an introduction, methods, the recommendations, and implementation guidance order, and a reference list in numbered Vancouver style.
Start with the title page (authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs). The abstract is a concise summary per the series guidelines. The body follows an introduction, methods, the recommendations, and implementation guidance, and the reference list uses numbered Vancouver style. Close with the declarations block: conflict of interest and funding.
Beyond that, match your article type’s specific limits rather than assuming the defaults apply, keep numbered Vancouver style formatting consistent from the first draft, and submit only through the CDC/MMWR editorial process — email submissions aren’t processed.
The shell mirrors what MMWR Recomm Rep’s editorial staff check first: abstract format and length, numbered Vancouver style reference formatting, and a complete declarations block. For the journal’s full aims and scope, see the MMWR Recomm Rep journal home page. MMWR Recomm Rep offers an open-access option; check the current article-processing charge and any waiver before you commit. Manuscripts go in through the CDC/MMWR editorial process, which also tracks your paper through peer review.
| Element | MMWR Recomm Rep requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | a concise summary per the series guidelines |
| Main text | an introduction, methods, the recommendations, and implementation guidance |
| Declarations | Conflict of interest and funding |
| Figures / tables | Captioned, cited in order; check format and resolution rules in the guide |
| Supplemental | Large datasets, extra tables, code — uploaded separately and cited in text |
| Submission | the CDC/MMWR editorial process |
Read the MMWR Recomm Rep author guidelines once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after your results are stable so it matches the paper. Set numbered Vancouver style as your reference style before adding a single citation — retrofitting it later is where errors creep in.
Skim two or three recent MMWR Recomm Rep papers to calibrate depth, structure, and figure style. State your contribution in the first two paragraphs, not on page ten. Write a data-availability statement that names a real repository rather than a placeholder, and disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in your cover letter. Confirm current open-access pricing and any institutional agreement before committing to a fee.
Do one focused pass against the MMWR Recomm Rep author guidelines: scope fit, abstract format, length, numbered Vancouver style references, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the CDC/MMWR editorial process.