HHS secretary approves changes to vaccine advisory committee
US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has approved changes to rules governing an expert group that advises the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its vaccine recommendations, reports BritPanorama.
This move, part of Kennedy’s latest effort to reshape the country’s vaccine policy, follows a March court order that temporarily blocked the work of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, placing some of its previous actions on hold.
The revisions significantly broaden the committee’s scope, which previously limited its focus to making recommendations solely on the use of vaccines in the United States.
In a statement Thursday, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon characterized the renewal of the committee’s charter as “routine statutory requirements” that “do not signal any broader policy shift.” “Unless officially announced by HHS, any assertions about next steps are speculation,” Nixon added.
Additions to the committee’s charter include points that align with long-standing priorities of groups that advocate against vaccines. The charter now emphasizes “identifying gaps in vaccine safety research, including adverse effects following vaccination.”
The committee has also been directed to consider the “cumulative effects” of administering all recommended childhood vaccines, as well as the ingredients in vaccines, such as aluminum—an ingredient added in small amounts to enhance immune response. While vaccine skeptics have raised concerns about aluminum potentially being linked to neurodevelopmental problems like autism, extensive studies have found no established connection.
Moreover, ACIP is now tasked with examining “novel vaccine platforms such as mRNA vaccines”—the technology behind two of the Covid-19 vaccines available in the US—and reviewing the vaccine schedules utilized by other countries.
In August, HHS announced that it was winding down its mRNA vaccine development activities and had canceled nearly $500 million in federal funding for mRNA research and development, indicating a shift towards “safer, broader” vaccine platforms that remain effective amid viral mutations.
Earlier in January, HHS stated it was updating the childhood immunization schedule to align more closely with the vaccination protocols of European countries like Denmark.
Critics, including Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who resigned as director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases last year over vaccine policy changes, expressed concerns that the new charter appears to prioritize risk over a balanced consideration of benefits. Daskalakis remarked that the charter grants non-voting membership to medical organizations skeptical of vaccines, potentially undermining public trust in vaccination efforts.
Among these non-voting liaison members are the Independent Medical Alliance, Physicians for Informed Consent, and the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons—groups that assert that vaccine risks are underrepresented and may outweigh benefits.
Richard Hughes, a lawyer representing the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical associations in a lawsuit against Kennedy, voiced apprehension regarding the committee’s new emphasis on adverse events, noting that it might distort ACIP’s mandate.
Since its establishment in 1964, ACIP has aimed to analyze vaccine data and provide recommendations on vaccinations for Americans. Its endorsements, once accepted by the CDC, determine which vaccines are covered by insurance and procured by the government for low-income children, influencing policy at state and school district levels.
One of Kennedy’s initial actions as HHS secretary was to dismiss all 17 previous ACIP members, appointing seven new members with tendencies to emphasize vaccine harms while downplaying benefits. Kennedy contended that prior members were biased towards vaccine manufacturers, despite established federal guidelines designed to screen for conflicts of interest.
The new committee members comprise a pharmacist, a psychiatrist, an emergency medicine physician, obstetrician/gynecologists, and experts in operations management and population health.
US District Judge Brian E. Murphy ruled in mid-March that while recent appointees possess substantial expertise, government committees demanding technical know-how must “include persons with demonstrated professional or personal qualifications and experience relevant to the functions and tasks to be performed by the committee.” The judge expressed concern over “glaring gaps,” noting that, by generous interpretation, only six members seem competent in vaccine-specific expertise.
In reaction to the ruling, HHS canceled a planned ACIP meeting, with multiple committee members reporting they were informed the committee was disbanded, though HHS later clarified that this was not accurate.
On Monday, HHS announced in the Federal Register that it would renew the ACIP charter, with the renewal notice suggesting an expansion of membership criteria.
The earlier charter specified that the committee should consist of up to 19 knowledgeable members in immunization practices and public health, including expertise in veterinary or laboratory vaccine research.
The renewal notice stipulates that committee members should represent a diverse range of specialties, and geographic locations in the US, covering fields such as biostatistics, toxicology, epidemiology, pediatrics, family medicine, and public health perspectives.
The implications of these adjustments continue to unfold, raising questions about the future of vaccine policy in the United States.
