For more than six decades, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has provided evidence-based recommendations that have guided healthcare providers in protecting public health. Traditionally composed of trusted experts in immunology, epidemiology, pediatrics, nursing, family medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, geriatrics, internal medicine, infectious disease, and public health, ACIP has long been a cornerstone of sound vaccine policy.
However, following the June 25–26, 2025 meeting—the first since the Secretary of Health replaced all 17 vetted voting members with newly appointed individuals—Vaccinate Your Family has serious concerns. With the exception of Dr. Cody Meissner, the conduct and qualifications of the newly seated members raised significant questions about the integrity of future vaccine recommendations.
America’s current measles surge and eroding childhood vaccination rates underscore why it is dangerous to allow the members of this committee to spend government resources to revisit well-established vaccine science and guidance. The misinformation that was presented over the past two days regarding the safety of thimerosal, the recommended childhood vaccine schedule and COVID-19 protection for pregnant women, only risks lending credibility to the biased notions of many of the committee members.
Vaccinate Your Family is particularly concerned about the low standard of the evidence presented to the committee prior to their vote on thimerosal-containing flu vaccines. The committee voted on a recommendation change after hearing only one presentation from an independent citizen, abandoning the scientific rigor we have come to expect from this committee.
Typically, recommendations are voted on after hearing data presented from multiple sources and the use of the Evidence to Recommendations (EtR) framework. According to the CDC’s website, “the purpose of the EtR framework is to describe information for consideration in making recommendations move from evidence to decisions, and to provide transparency around the impact of these factors on deliberations when considering a recommendation.”
Our concern is not that the committee wishes to move away from the use of thimerosal-containing flu vaccines, but rather the inadequate standard of evidence used to support this decision and the complete omission of the extensive body of research demonstrating thimerosal’s safety. This departure from scientific rigor sets a dangerous precedent.
The low bar of evidence upon which this week’s committee made recommendations could have serious consequences, especially if it is extended to the future review of the childhood immunization schedule as they have indicated is their plan. ACIP’s recommendations set the foundation for vaccine coverage under public and private insurance and the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program; the recommendations of this committee directly impact vaccine access and affordability and must be made with a higher level of scientific rigor than was demonstrated during this week’s meeting.
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Vaccinate Your Family submitted public comment to the federal register for the June 25-26, 2025 ACIP Meeting. You can read that here.