With the future of US immunization policy in question, public health experts and leading healthcare professionals weigh in on the removal by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the use of vaccines in the US. Read on for statements from NFID partner organizations …
Alliance for Aging Research (AAR): While done under the guise of restoring public trust in vaccines, the abrupt move by Secretary Kennedy to replace everyone currently serving on the CDC ACIP with his chosen people will further corrode public trust in medical science and government. ACIP has consistently been a trusted advisory body that closely followed administrative rules regarding conflicts of interest, rotating terms, and transparency, and we are very concerned that this move signals that impartiality may soon be replaced by a fealty to the Secretary. According to the CDC criteria for participation in ACIP, voting members must be highly qualified and must also adhere to a strict conflict of interest policy that requires disclosure of any potential conflicts at the start of their term and at the beginning of each ACIP meeting. Members who have disclosed conflicts are prohibited from participating in activities and votes on that topic. Information on the individual ACIP members and conflicts is available to the public. We fear that this new clean sweep with no overlap will likely lead to a committee that will consist entirely of members who have no previous experience with the ACIP or with geriatrics. We hope that the new committee maintains this expertise and remains nonpartisan. ACIP recommendations of FDA-approved or authorized vaccines are fundamental to ensuring that vaccines are not only available but also covered under both public and private insurance programs. We call on policymakers to intervene in the ACIP disruption. Do not be fooled—Secretary Kennedy is not advancing “public trust in vaccines,” but is instead undoing 50 years of public health achievement.
—AAR President and CEO Sue Peschin, MHS
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP): AAFP is outraged by the decision of the HHS Secretary to remove all 17 members of ACIP, undermining vaccine safety and public health. This dangerous move erodes decades of established processes, discards the expertise of the medical and scientific community, and delays getting lifesaving vaccines to patients. We will not stand by while core institutions and systems that protect the health of patients, families and communities are undermined.
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): AAP is deeply troubled and alarmed by the mass firing of all 17 experts on ACIP. This unprecedented action, against the backdrop of recent contradictory announcements from the administration about vaccines, will cause even more confusion and uncertainty for families. We are witnessing an escalating effort to silence independent medical expertise and stoke distrust in lifesaving vaccines. Creating confusion around proven vaccines endangers families’ health and contributes to the spread of preventable diseases. This move undermines the trust pediatricians have built over decades with our patients and leaves us without critical scientific expertise we rely on. Children and families must be able to access the immunizations they need to stay healthy. Our vaccine infrastructure must include this critical step of nonpartisan, expert review and discussion of the science and clinical recommendations for individual vaccines. Families and children will be the ones to pay the price for this decision.
—AAP President Susan Kressly, MD
American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA): In a time of rising vaccine hesitancy and growing outbreaks of preventable disease, this moment demands stability and greater trust in science and healthcare providers—not less. For decades, the medical community and the communities we serve have relied on ACIP to safely guide vaccine recommendations. The decision to suddenly remove all 17 members of the CDC independent advisory committee in one sweeping move is deeply damaging to confidence in vaccines that have proven to be safe for decades and in the healthcare providers who counsel patients and their families about immunization decisions every day. For the health and wellbeing of communities everywhere, it is imperative that the Administration acts promptly to reconstruct the committee through an open and transparent process that includes diverse provider voices, including PAs. AAPA urges the administration to protect the long-established stability in vaccine recommendations in order to protect the public against vaccine-preventable diseases.
—AAPA President and Chair of the Board of Directors Jason Prevelige, DMSc, MBA, PA-C
American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP): The undersigned* national nursing organizations express our strong concerns over the decision to dismiss all members of ACIP. ACIP is critically important in making recommendations on the safety and efficacy of vaccines that result in the development of the official US immunization schedules for adults and children. This unprecedented action could negatively impact our healthcare system. Each day healthcare providers, including nurse practitioners and registered nurses, educate patients on the importance of vaccines. We are concerned that this dismissal will further erode trust in the vaccine recommendation process. This process must be transparent, data driven, and inclusive of registered nurses and all clinicians who counsel patients on vaccinations.
*American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board, American Academy of Nursing, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, American College of Nurse-Midwives, American Nurses Association, Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association, National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Certification Corporation, National League for Nursing, National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties
American College of Physicians (ACP): ACP is highly concerned and outraged about the announcement dismissing all 17 ACIP members. This announcement, coupled with the recent, preemptive actions HHS took on the COVID-19 vaccines that circumvented the standard, transparent vaccine review process, interferes with the practice of evidence-based medicine and destabilizes a trusted source and its evidence-based process for helping guide decision-making for vaccines to protect the public health in our country. The announcement will seriously erode public confidence in our government’s ability to ensure the health of the US public, and it will endanger the safety, welfare, and lives of our patients. We call on the administration to immediately reverse course.
—ACP President Jason M. Goldman, MD, ACP Liaison to ACIP
American Medical Association (AMA): For generations, ACIP has been a trusted national source of science and data-driven advice and guidance on the use of vaccines to prevent and control disease. Physicians, parents, community leaders, and public health officials rely on them for clinical guidance, public health information, and knowledge. The removal of ACIP members undermines that trust and upends a transparent process that has saved countless lives. With an ongoing measles outbreak and routine child vaccination rates declining, this move will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses.
—AMA President Bruce A. Scott, MD
American Pharmacists Association (APhA): Pharmacists and the public rely upon ACIP for scientifically backed recommendations and information to support balancing their health risk with choice. APhA strongly urges that the voting membership of ACIP be comprised of scientists, researchers, and clinicians—including pharmacists—who possess the clinical and scientific acumen to provide evidence-based recommendations for vaccines, in a non-partisan manner. APhA recognizes there is risk and choice when it comes to any medication, including vaccines. Pharmacists consistently work with patients to balance their individual health conditions and risks with choice of therapy, whether it be medications or immunizations. It is highly concerning that removing 17 scientists overnight eliminates the historical knowledge, scientific training, and clinical expertise required to equip pharmacists and the public to make appropriate choices for health based upon the risk.
American Public Health Association (APHA): The action to retire all members of ACIP and install a new slate, instead of allowing people to finish their term, is a coup. ACIP members are some of the most qualified individuals to evaluate vaccines. They possess deep understanding of science and were vetted for conflicts of interest prior to appointment. Removing all ACIP members at once is not how democracies work and it is not good for the health of the nation. The HHS Secretary says he wants to restore trust and transparency. This action immediately raises concern over the ability of any slate of committee members appointed by the Administration to be viewed as impartial to his views on any decision, and therefore their actions will be suspect and likely mistrusted.
—APHA Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD
Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO): ACIP is vital to ensuring scientific rigor and third-party experts inform decisions about the safe and effective use of vaccines in the US. Under the law, ACIP also plays a critical role determining how the US public accesses immunizations. We are greatly concerned about the uncertainty created by the abrupt dismissal of the serving committee members and the loss of years of experience, especially less than 3 weeks before the next ACIP meeting, with consequential votes on recommendations that will affect access to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza (flu), human papillomavirus (HPV), and other important vaccines. While the advisors serve on the ACIP at the selection and appointment by the HHS Secretary, the removal of committee members will cause significant disruption in this critical process. Immunization reviews take place through working groups over many months, culminating with discussion during a public meeting. A wholesale change of this manner will negatively affect the ability of ACIP to deliberate and make well-informed recommendations, putting US lives at risk.
—BIO President and CEO John F. Crowley
Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA): Allegations about the integrity of ACIP are completely unfounded and will have a significant negative impact on people of all ages. Scientific recommendations about infectious diseases and vaccines that the public can trust require established experts to make them. ACIP is a highly qualified group of experts that has always operated with transparency and a commitment to protecting public health. Unilaterally removing an entire panel of experts is reckless, shortsighted, and severely harmful.
—IDSA President Tina Tan, MD
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP): NAPNAP is deeply disturbed by statements made by the HHS Secretary. Such statements undermine the comprehensive, scholarly analysis that members of the committee and its workgroups devote to every vaccine decision. For decades, ACIP has been managed in a transparent manner with publicly available agendas, open meetings and public comment periods. Erosion in vaccine science can be traced to misinformation spread on social media, which has been repeatedly disproved. NAPNAP believes the decision to terminate the volunteer service of current ACIP members with the stated goal of restoring public trust will only increase vaccine misinformation. NAPNAP supports all evidence-based efforts to have every infant, child, adolescent and adult receive all age-appropriate immunizations on time. Vaccines are safe and effective, have undergone a thorough review and recommendation process, and are carefully surveilled using multiple safety surveillance processes to detect if changes are needed.
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID): Federal advisory committees, including ACIP, are a cornerstone of the rigorous, transparent process that helps ensure public trust in vaccine recommendations. Their work supports timely responses to current and emerging threats, strengthens vaccine confidence, and guides policies that protect individuals and communities. Any disruptions to the work of, or significant changes to, these committees, including the recent removal of all 17 current members of ACIP, jeopardize public health as well as the transparency and credibility of science-based recommendations. NFID strongly supports the continued use of expert, evidence-based guidance to inform public health policy and protect the health of people across the US.
—NFID Medical Director Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., MD (NFID Liaison to ACIP)
National Medical Association (NMA): The removal of all members of the CDC ACIP by the HHS Secretary is a devastating attack on our nation’s public health system. The panel, which operates in public and includes physicians and healthcare experts, makes science-backed decisions after reviewing vaccine data. Their work impacts millions of Americans by determining vaccine schedules and availability. Vaccines and access to them have been one of the most important public health tools in preventing significant disease and death in the US. This latest move further undercuts public trust in vaccines and our healthcare system by creating confusion for patients and their healthcare providers. NMA, which has a representative on ACIP, condemns this ongoing destabilization of our nation’s public health system which puts millions of lives at risk.
—NMA President Virginia A. Caine, MD
SAFE Communities Coalition: In a deeply troubling move, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has removed all 17 members of ACIP—a respected, independent panel of scientific experts who have advised CDC on vaccine policy for more than 60 years. ACIP has helped determine the childhood vaccine schedule, guided providers, and ensured access to safe, effective immunizations through insurance coverage. Its work has protected generations from measles, polio, pneumococcal disease, and other deadly threats. That protection is now at risk. Without expert guidance, vaccines may become harder to access—especially in vulnerable communities. Insurance coverage could be disrupted. And preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough will continue to surge, endangering children, immunocompromised individuals, and pregnant people. CDC has stopped issuing routine disease alerts and has scaled back public health communications. Americans are being left in the dark—without the timely information they need to protect themselves and their families. If Congress fails to act, the results will be felt in rising illness, missed vaccinations, overwhelmed hospitals, growing economic strain, and needless loss of life. SAFE Communities Coalition brings together families, providers, advocates, and public health professionals to defend access to vaccines and fight misinformation. Our 11 Families for Vaccines chapters are working at the grassroots level across the country to educate lawmakers, counter disinformation, and advance strong vaccine laws in every state. This work has never been more urgent.
Society for Healthcare Epidemiology (SHEA): SHEA appreciates the HHS focus on restoring public trust in vaccines and applauds any and all efforts to increase vaccine uptake in the US to protect public health. However, we do not believe recent ACIP members were conflicted; rather, we have consistently observed through both our role as an advisory member of ACIP and as a professional medical society, that the ACIP recommendations were rooted in rigorous, evidence-based deliberations. SHEA has confidence in the integrity of the ACIP conflict of interest policies and processes, which are designed to ensure transparency and uphold public trust in its decision-making. ACIP has long served as a trusted body guiding national immunization policy. We are proud to have worked alongside them in advancing public health and encouraging a transparent and deliberative process of vaccination recommendations. We are deeply concerned that efforts to restructure or replace ACIP risk undermining a trusted, science-driven process that has long guided national immunization policy. We urge HHS to prioritize transparency, scientific rigor, and public health expertise as it considers these changes—and we remain committed to defending a strong, evidence-based immunization framework in the US.
Vaccinate Your Family: Vaccinate Your Family is deeply concerned by the decision to remove all 17 members of ACIP, a move that puts vaccine access and insurance coverage at serious risk. ACIP recommendations serve as the foundation for determining which vaccines must be covered—without out-of-pocket costs—by both public and private insurance programs. This includes coverage under the Affordable Care Act and the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, which collectively protect millions. Disrupting the work of ACIP introduces dangerous uncertainty about which vaccines will continue to be covered and whether families will have to pay out of pocket for routine immunizations. As vaccination rates for children and adolescents decline and measles outbreaks spread, this is not the time to introduce confusion about coverage or access. Parents need to know that recommended vaccines will remain available, accessible, and affordable. Vaccinate Your Family urges HHS and CDC leadership to immediately clarify how ACIP will continue to function as an independent, evidence-based body, and to reaffirm their commitment to preserving universal vaccine coverage through public and commercial insurance. Lives depend on it.
Voices for Vaccines: HHS Secretary recently dismissed all 17 current ACIP members and said he will pick replacements. Many worry that swapping out the entire panel at once could delay future vaccine guidance and erode the trust ACIP has built over decades. What does this mean for you right now?
- The current US vaccine schedule has not changed. Your child’s well-visit shots and your own boosters are still recommended and still available.
- Daycare and school requirements, which are set at the state level, remain the same.
- The next ACIP public meeting may be postponed until new members are seated, so upcoming votes (for example, on this fall’s updated flu and COVID-19 formulations) could be delayed.
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