Pharmacy Groups Urge HHS to Restore Confidence in Vaccine Advisory Process

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and 8 partnering pharmacy organizations sent a joint letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr on July 9, 2026, raising concerns about the recently revised charter for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).^1,2

The letter argues the revised charter could disrupt the evidence-based framework that has historically guided U.S. immunization policy and unintentionally jeopardize patient access to vaccines.²

What the Letter Asks For

The coalition—which includes APhA, the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, ASCP–Age Friendly Pharmacists and Pharmacies, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the Pediatric Pharmacy Association, and the Society of Infectious Diseases—outlined a set of specific requests.²

These include preserving transparent, merit-based selection processes for ACIP voting members and liaison organizations; engaging directly with frontline vaccination providers, including pharmacists, before making structural changes to advisory committee appointments; and prioritizing pharmacists with extensive immunization experience for ACIP membership.^1,2

The letter also calls for ACIP to conduct prompt reviews and issue recommendations following FDA approvals or label changes, require that ACIP recommendations be published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), mandate a minimum number of ACIP meetings per year, and establish a clear, transparent recordkeeping process for the committee's activities.^1,2

Why Pharmacists Are Central to This Debate

The letter frames pharmacists as essential players in the nation's vaccination infrastructure. According to 2025-2026 flu and respiratory virus season data cited in the letter, pharmacies administered 62% of adult influenza vaccines, 96% of all respiratory syncytial virus vaccines, and 89% of all COVID-19 vaccines nationwide. The organizations noted that pharmacists and the personnel under their supervision, including pharmacy technicians and student pharmacists, also serve patients through Medicare, Medicaid, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the military, the Indian Health Service, and correctional and immigration facilities.²

The letter states that the revised charter places an emphasis on vaccine risks and harms that is not commensurate with the scientifically proven benefits of vaccination and that it shifts ACIP membership away from an explicit emphasis on expertise in immunization science, infectious diseases, vaccinology, and vaccine service implementation.²

As an example of the consequences of delay, the coalition pointed to a label change for a meningococcal disease vaccine. Although the FDA approved the change in May 2025 and ACIP had previously reviewed the underlying data, the committee did not take up a recommendation at its June 2025 meeting, a delay the letter said illustrates the importance of timely committee action.²

The Charter Itself

Under the revised charter, ACIP continues to operate under Section 222 of the Public Health Service Act and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, advising the CDC director on vaccine use and immunization strategy. The committee is capped at 19 voting members serving up to 4-year terms, selected by the HHS secretary, along with 33 nonvoting liaison representatives from medical and public health organizations, including APhA.³

Meetings are held "at the discretion of the ACIP Designated Federal Officer in consultation with the Chair," with no fixed number or frequency specified, though the charter states meetings will remain open to the public with notice given in advance.³

That flexible meeting cadence has already drawn criticism from other medical societies. As previously reported, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and several cosigning organizations said the charter change could intensify politicization of ACIP and "lead to confusion and delays that threaten public access to lifesaving vaccines." That earlier dispute followed a March 2026 federal court ruling that questioned whether the committee's appointees met the Federal Advisory Committee Act’s "fair and balanced" membership standard.⁴

What It Means for Pharmacy Practice

Pharmacists depend on ACIP recommendations to define scope of practice, secure provider liability protections, and facilitate insurance billing, since vaccine administration authority in many states is tied directly to the federal immunization schedule.⁴

The pharmacy coalition's letter underscores that when established ACIP processes shift or become unpredictable, confusion can spread and undermine confidence in how immunization recommendations are developed and implemented. The organizations said they remain committed to working with HHS, ACIP, and the pharmacy workforce to preserve public trust in vaccines going forward.^1,2

REFERENCES

1. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. ASHP and pharmacy partners call for restoring confidence in vaccine advisory process following ACIP charter revision. News release. ASHP. July 9, 2026. Accessed July 15, 2026. https://news.ashp.org/News/ashp-news/2026/07/09/ashp-and-pharmacy-partners-call-for-restoring-confidence-in-vaccine-advisory-process

2. American Pharmacists Association, Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, American College of Clinical Pharmacy, ASCP–Age Friendly Pharmacists and Pharmacies, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Pediatric Pharmacy Association, Society of Infectious Diseases. Letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr re: CDC ACIP charter changes. July 9, 2026. Accessed July 15, 2026. https://news.ashp.org/-/media/assets/advocacy-issues/docs/2026/Pharmacy-Profession-Response-June-2026-ACIP-Charter-Changes.pdf

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACIP Charter. April 8, 2026. Accessed July 15, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/acip/about/acip-charter.html

4. Gallagher A. New ACIP charter may potentially delay vaccine recommendations. Drug Topics. July 2, 2026. Accessed July 15, 2026. https://www.drugtopics.com/view/new-acip-charter-may-potentially-delay-vaccine-recommendations