RFK Jr's Decision to Replace Entire ACIP Panel "Completely Unexpected," Former Member Says
Noel Brewer, PhD, states that the Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices will need to quickly work to regain trust.
On Monday, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that all current members of the CDC's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) will be retired and replaced in order to “reestablish public confidence in vaccine science.”1 The decision quickly drew criticism from numerous health care organizations, with the American Public Health Association saying the move was a “coup” by the Trump administration.2
Noel Brewer, PhD, states that the Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices will need to quickly work to regain trust. | Image Credit: Aron M - Austria - stock.adobe.com
Noel Brewer, PhD, who was on the ACIP panel, stated that the decision to remove the members was “completely unexpected” but not “entirely surprising.” He added that many of the members thought they would continue in their roles for the full 4 years they were appointed.
“The new ACIP will need to work quickly to regain trust of health care providers,” Brewer, who is a professor in the department of health behavior at the University of North Carolina, said. “Transparency on selection and vetting will help, as will clear and strong committee leadership by a respected scientist. They will also have to rebuild institutional knowledge.”
The Biden administration appointed all of the 17 sitting ACIP members, with 13 being appointed in 2024. "These appointments would have prevented the current administration from choosing a majority of the committee until 2028," the Department of Health and Human Services said in its release.1
“A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,” Kennedy said in the release.1 “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."
In discussing Kennedy’s claims of conflicts of interest for members of ACIP, Brewer said the committee has strong and transparent rules that limit any conflicts of interest for members. “We can’t accept money from drug companies, nor can we be part of legislation against them,” he said.
When members join ACIP, they declare all conflicts of interest, which are also declared annually, Brewer said. He added that the members cannot vote on anything related to their conflict of interest, “and they absolutely cannot create any new COI [conflict of interest] whatsoever during their service.”
In the ACIP policies and Procedures handbook, members disclose any conflicts of interest at every ACIP meeting and prior to voting occurring.3
“I truly hope that the new ACIP committee will have truly stellar scientists who create trust among providers and the public,” Brewer said.
ACIP is a federal advisory committee that develops recommendations for vaccine use in the United States. The committee is made up of medical and public health experts that offer advice and guidance to the CDC, and though it is primarily focused on vaccine use, they also offer recommendations for the administration of immune globulin and/or antimicrobial therapy for controlling a disease that has an available vaccine.3
Members of ACIP serve overlapping 4 year terms. The panel includes up to 19 medical professionals and 1 consumer representative. There are 20 voting members, 8 ex officio members and 31 liaison representatives. Ex Officio members, who are from other federal agencies, generally do not vote but could be designated to in specific circumstances. Liaison members represent "professional societies and organizations responsible for the development and execution of immunization programs for children and adults."3
ACIP recommendations are usually the basis for coverage by the Vaccines for Children program, which pays for half of the vaccine doses delivered to children every year, according to Brewer. In addition, ACIP recommendations usually trigger the first dollar coverage of vaccines by private insurers.
"ACIP considers only vaccines that have been licensed for use in the United States. If a vaccine should not be delivered to humans, then [the] FDA should not license it," Brewer said.
ACIP is responsible for vaccine recommendations, but the CDC sets immunization schedules based on these recommendations. Based on written recommendations, the director of the CDC approves the recommendations.2,3
The next scheduled meeting for ACIP is June 25 to June 27, 2025. However, with the change in membership, there has not been an update on whether the meeting will still take place on the scheduled dates.
READ MORE: Immunization Resource Center
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