Washington, D.C. – A meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a key panel advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine policy, is in question after federal officials missed legal deadlines for public notification. The potential postponement raises concerns about ongoing disruptions within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its impact on public health initiatives.
Federal law mandates that agencies provide public notice of advisory committee meetings, including those of the ACIP, a specific period in advance to allow for public input. According to a Federal Register notice, the deadline is seven calendar days prior to the meeting. However, a federal rule, last updated in 2001, stipulates a 15-day notice period. As of , no notice had been posted by HHS, meaning both deadlines have been missed.
The planned meeting was expected to include discussions regarding Covid-19 vaccines and other mRNA-based immunizations, according to sources familiar with the preparations. The ACIP’s recommendations are crucial, as they inform CDC policy on vaccine usage. While the ACIP provides recommendations, those recommendations require approval by the CDC director – a position currently vacant – or the HHS secretary to become official policy. Historically, it is uncommon for ACIP recommendations to be rejected.
This lack of organization surrounding the February meeting is the latest in a series of events signaling broader dysfunction within the agency. Jim O’Neill, the acting CDC Director, recently departed HHS abruptly after being informed he would be appointed as an ambassador. This departure was part of a larger restructuring within HHS, attributed to a refocusing on politically popular issues in advance of upcoming elections.
O’Neill’s appointment as acting director followed the forced resignation of Susan Monarez, the previous CDC Director, less than a month into her tenure. Monarez was removed from her position for refusing to align with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on matters of vaccination policy. It remains unclear whether the administration intends to name another acting director for the agency. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon stated on , that Ralph Abraham, the CDC’s principal deputy director and a former Louisiana surgeon general, is currently the senior official at the agency.
Even staff within the CDC division previously responsible for ACIP logistics appeared unaware of the meeting’s status. During an all-hands meeting on , Greg Thorne, a management officer at the CDC, reportedly informed staff of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases that the ACIP meeting was unlikely to proceed as scheduled due to the lack of a Federal Register notice. Dayle Kern, a communications officer, further stated that NCIRD no longer “owns” ACIP, despite historically providing support, including data and information on vaccine safety.
Thorne clarified that his comments pertained to the legal process for holding the meeting and did not indicate a definitive decision to postpone it. The ACIP underwent significant changes last year when Kennedy dismissed the entire existing panel, alleging undue influence from pharmaceutical companies. The newly appointed panel includes members with views skeptical of vaccines, raising concerns among public health experts.
Last year, the committee recommended delaying the hepatitis B vaccine, typically administered to newborns. However, the panel’s influence was curtailed earlier this year when HHS unilaterally reduced the number of recommended pediatric vaccines without ACIP input.
During the recent staff meeting, Abraham addressed the CDC staff, describing the agency as a family and expressing President Trump’s appreciation for their work. The response was reportedly tepid, according to one source.
While the White House has signaled a shift in HHS priorities away from further changes in vaccine policy and toward issues like food policy and drug prices, vaccine-related matters continue to present challenges. Last week, a senior Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official overruled agency reviewers in rejecting an application by Moderna for a new flu shot, prompting significant public criticism. This decision was subsequently reversed earlier this , according to Moderna.
Separately, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently argued before a federal judge that the upcoming ACIP meeting should be delayed as part of a broader legal challenge contesting the legitimacy of vaccine policy changes implemented by Kennedy. Judge Brian E. Murphy, presiding over the case in Boston federal court, has requested additional information but has not yet issued a ruling.
