Today, the body that recommends what vaccines are given to Americans, and when, met in Atlanta for the first of a two-day summit. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices panel (ACIP) has a lot of power; states use its recommendations to decide the vaccine mandates for school-aged children, and ACIP recommendations impact how private health insurance companies and the U.S. government cover the cost of recommended vaccines (for example, how much Medicaid will cover). The ACIP, which has been around since 1964, usually meets three times a year and without too much media fanfare.
This year things are different.
Controversial firings
Just two weeks before the panel was due to meet for one of its triannual meetings, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. controversially fired all 17 members of the panel, accusing them of having conflicts of interest and undermining American’s trust in health, an accusation each member vigorously denies. [Note: Committee members have to undergo extensive background and conflict checks before their appointments.]
Instead, RFK Jr. appointed eight new members to the panel— a group of people who, for the most part, have limited expertise in virology or immunology. Half of the panel have expressed some kind of reluctance to recommend vaccines, and a desire to shake up the status quo in terms of the timetable of when immunizations are given to Americans, particularly kids.
Breaking News: New recommendations from the ACIP on Wednesday
Tonight, we know of at least two new recommendations made to the CDC by the newly formed ACIP panel:
The panel is going to establish a group to scrutinize the vaccine schedule for children and adolescents, meaning it will potentially have the power to upend what vaccines are offered to infants, kids and teens.
A separate working group will be established solely to review the safety of certain vaccines, including MMR and chickenpox vaccine, and Hepatitis B shot given to infants upon birth; these are shots that have been approved and in use for seven years or more. They’ve also been shots that have long met the ire of people who identify with the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ (MAHA) movement.
The overwhelming response by the majority of members of the public health community has been one of dismay and outrage. But there’s also been a lot of noise from MAHA and weary Americans who, particularly since Covid, have felt overwhelmed by a glut of misinformation around vaccines, coupled with a lament over perceived government overreach into their lives.
What are the stakes for American’s health?
I wanted to understand the stakes for Americans, particularly for children, and try to help us all put a finger on the pulse of the state of vaccine health in America today.
So, I called Dr Paul Offit, who previously served on the ACIP, to help us unpack all of this on the podcast today.
Dr. Offit is director of the vaccine education center and professor of pediatrics in the division of infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He’s an internationally recognized expert in the fields of virology and immunology, and he serves as a member of the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee.
He’s also the co-inventor of the Rotavirus vaccine, Rotateq, recommended for universal use in infants by the CDC. But he calls himself a “vaccine skeptic” - perhaps a curious thing for someone with his credentials to self-label, and something that I ask him about on the pod.
“ Most parents value vaccines, because they realize that [immunizations] put their children in the healthiest position possible. Knowing that, knowing that good science wins out in the end. I do think that, that we will get through this. But I think it's gonna be a rough ride for a couple years.” — Dr. Paul Offit, speaking on the ‘High Key with CMT’ podcast
Our conversation isn’t just limited to the ACIP, but about the state of public health in general in the U.S.
One thing I want to note, as I mention in the podcast, and as Dr. Offit reasserts, is that despite the very emotional headlines around this topic, vaccines are broadly accepted and desired by the American public.
A recent bipartisan poll examined registered voters’ perspectives on vaccination trends, and found that the majority of Americans - 74% - believe the U.S. should prioritize ensuring FDA-approved vaccines are widely available for everyone, 81% of voters say it is important for the U.S. to remain a leader in developing new vaccines, and nearly 70% of respondents expressed concern over declining vaccination rates among children. [Source: Public Opinion Strategies and Lake Research Partners]
And, as Dr. Offit tells me on the pod, “ Most parents value vaccines, because they realize that [immunizations] put their children in the healthiest position possible. Knowing that, knowing that good science wins out in the end. I do think that, that we will get through this. But I think it's gonna be a rough ride for a couple years.”
One note: Paul and I recorded our conversation on Monday, before the ACIP convened, but he has promised that he’ll come back to give us a mini-bonus pod update if anything more seismic comes out of the coming days.
Right, that’s it from me this week. As always, drop me a comment with your thoughts, and hope you’re all surviving the news cycle apocalypse as best as anyone can.
-CMT
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