U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday dismissed all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), saying a “clean sweep” is needed to rebuild public confidence in U.S. vaccine policy.
“Today we are prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda,” Kennedy said in the June 9 press announcement. “The public must know that unbiased science—evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest—guides the recommendations of our health agencies.”
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ACIP is the panel of outside experts whose votes shape the CDC immunization schedule that physicians rely on when counseling patients and submitting vaccine claims. The CDC says the committee normally includes up to 19 voting members with expertise in vaccinology, internal medicine, pediatrics and public health. ACIP’s recommendations are routinely adopted by the CDC director and trigger first-dollar coverage requirements for private insurers, Medicaid and Medicare Part D.
All of the ousted members were appointed during the Biden administration, including 13 of them last year, a roster that would have kept a Biden-era majority in place until 2028, according to HHS. Kennedy said replacing the full slate is necessary.
“A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,” Kennedy said in the news release. “ACIP's new members will prioritize public health and evidence-based medicine. The Committee will no longer function as a rubber stamp for industry profit-taking agendas. The entire world once looked to American health regulators for guidance, inspiration, scientific impartiality, and unimpeachable integrity. Public trust has eroded. Only through radical transparency and gold standard science, will we earn it back.”
The move follows President Donald Trump’s “Restoring Gold Standard Science” executive order, which directs HHS to tighten conflict-of-interest rules across federal advisory panels. Kennedy did not detail how new ACIP members will be chosen, but said candidates are already under review.
What physicians need to know
The reconstituted ACIP is expected to convene June 25-27 at CDC headquarters in Atlanta. Until then, any new vaccine indications, such as anticipated updates to the influenza, RSV and chikungunya recommendations, could face procedural delays.
Coverage implications. Because payers must cover ACIP-recommended vaccines without cost sharing, changes in the committee’s makeup could ultimately influence reimbursement and inventory planning in medical practices.
Practice operations. ACIP meetings are open to the public and live-streamed. Physicians who depend on the committee’s guidance for standing orders and patient education may want to monitor the June session for any sign of altered methodology or voting criteria.
