Vaccinate Your Family is deeply concerned by today’s decision from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to remove all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a move that puts vaccine access and insurance coverage at serious risk.
ACIP recommendations serve as the foundation for determining which vaccines must be covered—without out-of-pocket costs—by both public and private insurance programs. This includes coverage under the Affordable Care Act and the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, which collectively protect millions of Americans. Disrupting ACIP’s work introduces dangerous uncertainty about which vaccines will continue to be covered and whether families will have to pay out of pocket for routine immunizations.
This unprecedented overhaul threatens the stability and credibility of a trusted, science-based process. Replacing experienced, vetted ACIP members with new appointees outside the usual nomination and vetting cycle could lead to delays in issuing vaccine recommendations or politically motivated reversals – directly impacting whether vaccines remain covered by insurance.
As vaccination rates for children and adolescents decline and measles outbreaks spread, this is not the time to introduce confusion about coverage or access. Parents need to know that recommended vaccines will remain available, accessible, and affordable.
Vaccinate Your Family urges HHS and CDC leadership to immediately clarify how ACIP will continue to function as an independent, evidence-based body, and to reaffirm their commitment to preserving universal vaccine coverage through public and commercial insurance. Lives depend on it.