ACIP will ‘use evidence-based medicine when making vaccine recommendations,’ new leader says

Committee Chair Martin Kulldorff, MD, PhD, speaks during the June 25, 2025, meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. This image was taken from the meeting webcast.

The new members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) support science and will base their decisions on evidence, not on pro- or anti-vaccine agendas, the panel’s new chair said.

On June 25, the new ACIP members began their first meeting introducing themselves and how they will deliberate on vaccines for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the movement to Make America Healthy Again.

The members convened in person and online, and the audience likewise. On the webcast, it was not immediately apparent that Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., or any of his top aides were present; if they were, they were not formally recognized and did not speak during the introductions. Public comment was scheduled for later the same day, and during a period on June 26.

On June 25, new Chair Martin Kulldorff, MD, PhD, said ACIP will form new work groups to analyze the childhood and adolescent vaccine schedules and new research on those. A new work group also will study vaccines that have not been reviewed in more than seven years.

There was introductory discussion before the group began several hours of presentations and deliberations on COVID-19 vaccines, with no vote scheduled on that inoculation for the day’s meeting.

Gratitude to former members

In recent weeks, health care advocates and medical organizations blasted Kennedy’s action to dissolve the 17-member ACIP and appoint new members without public vetting of their backgrounds. The former members themselves published a joint editorial claiming his actions “critically weakened” the nation’s vaccine program.

Kulldorff opened by thanking the former members for their service, a time-intensive and not always appreciated task. He also thanked the devoted researchers and staff of CDC for their work.

‘Use evidence-based medicine’

Kulldorff spoke a preamble to the meeting to explain the scope of ACIP’s recommendations, and how the committee will deliberate on those.

“ACIP recommendations have an impact on the health and lives of Americans from infancy to old age. Nothing is more precious to those of us on this panel than our children and grandchildren. And likewise, we know they are nothing more important to parents than the health of their children,” Kulldorff said.

“Our recommendations cover the lives of over 70 million mostly healthy children,” he said. “Secretary Kennedy has given this committee a clear mandate: to use evidence-based medicine when making vaccine recommendations. And that is what we will do.”

Who needs ACIP?

Vaccines are not all good or bad. People who believe vaccines are safe and effective and want them all, or who believe vaccines are dangerous and don’t want any of them, have no need for ACIP recommendations because they know what they want, Kulldorff said. ACIP welcomes those with questions about what vaccines are suitable for themselves and their children, and at what ages, ACIP will issue them recommendations based on evidence, he said.

“If you have questions or concerns about the safety or efficacy of vaccines, we want to hear them,” Kulldorff said. “That is the scientific method, and it is natural to ask questions. That is what the CDC subject matter experts do, it’s what the public does, and it is what we will do.
“No questions should be off limits,” Kulldorff said. “Some media outlets have been very harsh on the new members of this committee, issuing false accusations and making concerted efforts to put scientists in either a pro or anti-vaccine box. Such labels undermine critical scientific inquiry. And it further feeds the flames of vaccine hesitancy.”

Vaccine scrutiny analogies

Committee member Joseph R. Hibbeln, MD, speaks during the June 25, 2025, meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. This image was taken from the meeting webcast.

Kulldorff used metaphors to describe the spirit of inquiry that will be used to evaluate vaccines. Opposing mercury contamination in fish does not make a person anti-fish, just as opposing mercury in vaccines does not make a person anti-vaccine, Kulldorf said, citing Kennedy, a longtime environmental activist, for that analogy.

In another sector, commercial airlines compete on schedules, ticket prices and service. But they collaborate on safety because an incident or crash by one airline undermines public trust and willingness to travel on other airlines, Kulldorff said.

“The same is true for vaccines,” he said. When there are unexpected adverse reactions or concerns about the safety for one vaccine, “that affects all other vaccines, reducing vaccine uptake and coverage.”

“Rebuilding public trust through sound science is very important,” he said. “For example, the inflated promises about the COVID vaccines preventing transmission and disease, and vaccine, COVID vaccine mandates, have decreased overall public trust in vaccines.”

Speaking to leaders in science

Committee member Robert W. Malone, MD, speaks during the June 25, 2025, meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. This image was taken from the meeting webcast.

Kulldorff addressed his fellow scientists in the audience. It is no secret to anyone in the room that confidence in public institutions, including CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes for Health, and universities, sank to an all-time low due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We must work to rebuild integrity and trust, and we do that by honestly recognizing past mistakes, adhering to evidence-based medicine, and encouraging open scientific discourse, as uncomfortable as that may be,” Kulldorff said.

Who are the members?

After reviewing meeting procedures, the members introduced themselves and declared any conflicts of interest.

Kulldorff described his work as a vaccine safety researcher for Harvard University until he was fired “unscientifically and unethically” for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine, due to immunity from an infection. He also noted he supported the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 for some patients when its use was limited due to health concerns, making him a pro-vaccine activist in that instance.

‘Absolutely honored’

Joseph R. Hibbeln, MD, said he was a commissioned officer in the United States Public Health Service for 30 years, and a dedicated physician and scientist. He is a distinguished visiting professor at the University of Bristol.

“I am absolutely honored to participate in this tremendous public health endeavor of protecting our infants, our mothers, ourselves and the world from deadly viruses that we don't always understand,” he said. “I am honored by the intellect and the capacity of my fellow committee members.
“I have approached this committee and these issues with a neutral, scientific mind completely evaluating the data presented to us to make the best decisions for public health, and I have no conflicts of interest,” Hibbeln said.

Hard work to come

Retsef Levi, PhD, earned his doctorate in operations from Cornell University and has been on the faculty of MIT since 2006 researching use of data, advanced analytics and modeling. Much of his research has focused on human health, working with health care systems and clinicians.

“I’m delighted, honored, and humbled to be here today. And I look forward to working with my colleagues on the committee and with the CDC staff members and others on the very, very, important issues that are in front of us, and hopefully to learn what the data and the evidence and the science are telling us about the best recommendations for the public in the U.S and beyond and I’m looking forward for hard work.”

Virology research

Robert Malone, MD, said he is a Maryland licensed physician and scientist who has been working in virology, Immunology, molecular biology pathology since 1983. Malone described extensive vetting by the U.S. Department of Defense and work with the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. He described experience working with in HIV, anthrax, plague, tuberculosis, and virtually all of the classical biodefence related vaccine products that are currently in the pipeline. He has been an invited speaker to the World Health Organization and in tuberculosis vaccine development funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Providing expert care

James Pagano, MD, said he is a retired emergency physician with over 40 years of experience in patient care and department management.
“I chose that specialty, which was brand new at the time because it offered me the chance to provide expert care to the entire spectrum of the patient population, from infants to the elderly, regardless of their background, regardless of their ability to pay, when they needed that care most, in an emergency and often under difficult circumstances,” Pagano said. “This is the perspective and mindset I bring to this committee. I'm honored to be here. I have no conflicts.”

Public health background

Vicky Pebsworth, OP, PhD, RN, said she has worked in health care field for about 45 years. Her doctoral degrees are in nursing and in public health from the University of Michigan, and her public health background is in health services, organization, and policy.

Pebsworth has served on FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC); on two committees at the National Vaccine Advisory Committee; and volunteer director of research for the non-profit National Vaccine Information Center; and as Pacific region director of the National Association of Catholic Nurses.

Pebsworth read a statement disclosing she owns stock in a health care sector fund that includes holdings relevant to ACIP, including vaccine manufacturers. The amount of stock holding is under the Office of Government Ethics’ regulatory de minimis amount.

‘Vaccines and public health’

Cody Meissner, MD, is a contractor supporting the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and a professor at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth.

“I've had a long-standing interest in vaccines and public health,” he said. A previous ACIP member, Meissner said he was chair of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program for VRBPAC and he has worked in the past extensively with the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“I am delighted to be able to present my perspective to the committee,” he said.