The Vaccine Brief: What Broke at ACIP This Week

What Matters This Week, June 26

I’m David Higgins, a practicing pediatrician and preventive medicine physician who cares for children, adolescents, and their families and studies how to improve how we communicate about and deliver preventive care and vaccines. This newsletter shares clear science, smart policy, and meaningful conversations, because the health of our communities depends on all three. If you haven’t already, hit the button below to stay in the loop with updates.

---

Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash

Hi community,

This week, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) held its first meeting since all 17 members were dismissed. Only eight new members were appointed—one of whom resigned after reportedly refusing to divest from vaccine-related stocks.

What followed wasn’t a return to evidence-based public health or a good-faith scientific review. It was a departure from the norms and safeguards that have guided vaccine recommendations for decades. Transparent processes were bypassed. Expert voices were sidelined. Decisions were made without comprehensive evidence—or in defiance of it.

I’m frustrated by the erosion of transparency, the marginalization of experts, and the open conflicts of interest. But more than anything, I’m scared.

And pediatricians don’t scare easily. We’ve stood between a child and death and said, not today. So when we say we’re afraid for the health and lives of our patients, take us seriously.

We are watching the freedom to vaccinate erode, not because of better science or new evidence, but because of misinformation and ideologically driven agendas. These changes don’t reflect a thoughtful re-evaluation; they mark a dismantling of evidence-based standards.

This meeting should be a wake-up call. If we care about the health of children, families, and communities, we cannot afford to look away.

---

The Most Dangerous Part? Precedent.

When major public health decisions are made without evidence, expertise, or standard review, it opens the door to future decisions driven by ideology instead of science.

The most dangerous outcome from the meeting wasn’t just a few bad votes. It was how the votes happened.

Despite no new evidence, a vote against thimerosal-containing flu vaccines was made based on a single, unvetted presentation from an individual who has led an anti-vaccine organization. The safeguards that typically guide such decisions were ignored:

• No use of the evidence-to-recommendation (EtR) framework, which normally guides committee deliberations.

• No presentations from CDC subject matter experts.

• No review by the designated ACIP workgroup.

• A comprehensive CDC-authored safety review showing the safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines was removed from the published meeting materials after failing to receive clearance from the HHS Secretary’s office.

In a press statement sent after the meeting and vote, the committee members wrote: “We pledge to not hold a vote if there is not sufficient information to evaluate the risks and benefits.”

That’s simply not what happened.

As I told NBC News:

“It’s outrageous that a decision this consequential would be made based on a single presentation by someone who arguably isn’t even an expert in the field… Decades of evidence were ignored—or hidden. That’s not transparency. That’s not scientific integrity.”

A dangerous precedent has been set: U.S. vaccine policy can be shaped not by rigorous review of the evidence but by cherry-picked data and fringe agendas.

Why It Matters

This vote will reduce access to flu vaccines, limit choices for providers and families, and further erode public trust. But the consequences are global.

Thimerosal is used safely in vaccines around the world. Removing it without good cause threatens vaccine confidence and supply globally. Such moves could jeopardize vaccine access and lives, especially in low-resource settings.

The result? A decision that undermines public confidence and weakens our global partnerships on vaccine delivery—all without a full review of the facts.

---

Five Key Takeaways

1. The entire process was broken.

The agenda changed last-minute. Meeting materials were pulled or never posted. Members misunderstood basic voting procedures, including during a critical VFC vote. There were no CDC workgroup reviews or EtR frameworks for significant decisions. Conflicts of interest, including litigation roles and anti-vaccine affiliations, went undisclosed.

2. Four medical societies boycotted the meeting.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and three other liaison organizations took a principled stand and boycotted this meeting. As AAP President Dr. Sue Kressly said, “We won’t lend our name—or our expertise—to a system that is being politicized at the expense of children’s health.”

I support their decision not to give legitimacy to a group that no longer reflects the science, transparency, or public health commitment that ACIP has embodied for over 60 years.

3. Inaccuracies and misleading claims dominated the meeting.

Over 50 inaccurate or misleading claims were presented or echoed (I had help counting, but probably still missed some). These included spike protein myths, “hot lot” conspiracy theories, and exaggerated claims about vaccine-induced myocarditis and RSV protection.

4. CDC staff showed courage and professionalism.

CDC scientists presented strong, evidence-based data when permitted, but their role was constrained. Their work on RSV, COVID-19, and beyond was thorough, evidence-based, and transparent. They were not allowed to present on every topic, but when they did, their commitment to public health and the scientific process was undeniable.

5. What comes next?

This meeting left more questions than answers. The path forward for fall COVID-19 vaccination remains unclear. Influenza vaccine in multidose vials may not be available. The committee has signaled plans to reexamine MMRV, the hepatitis B birth dose, and even the entire childhood vaccine schedule, without any new evidence prompting such reviews. Planned discussions and votes on HPV, CMV, meningococcal, pneumococcal, and adult RSV vaccines have been postponed indefinitely.

---

What States Can Do Now to Protect People

This week, I published a letter in The Washington Post showing how Colorado took steps to protect vaccine access and science-based policy, anticipating the kind of actions we’re now seeing.

When national guidance is politicized or unpredictable, state leaders don’t have to wait. Colorado didn’t.

We passed two new laws this year to ensure:

• Vaccines remain covered under state-regulated insurance plans

• State health policy can follow credible medical organizations, not just the ACIP

This week’s ACIP meeting highlights the growing risks to vaccine access nationwide. Other states can follow Colorado’s lead, and they should.

---

Final Note

Thanks, as always, for being part of this community. I know there’s a lot going on, so I’ll keep tracking the headlines that matter and unpacking what they mean so you don’t have to.

-David

Do you like this newsletter?

Then you should subscribe here for FREE to never miss an update and share this with others:

You can also follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Substack Notes, and Bluesky.

Community Immunity is a newsletter dedicated to vaccines, policy, and public health, offering clear science and meaningful conversations for health professionals, science communicators, policymakers, and anyone who wants to stay informed. This newsletter is free for everyone, and I want it to be a conversation, not just a broadcast. And if you find this valuable, please help spread the word!