Over 130 Organizations Raise Concerns About Proposed Changes to ACIP Charter

On April 9, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a substantially revised Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) charter.

The move, part of US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s latest effort to reshape the country’s vaccine policy, follows a March court order that temporarily blocked the work of ACIP and put some of its previous moves on hold, CNN’s Brenda Goodman reported.

“Judge Brian Murphy ruled that RFK Jr’s ACIP appointments likely violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act,” Diana Ernst, RPh, explained for MPR.

“The new charter broadens qualifications for panel members that would allow the inclusion of Kennedy allies,” Lauren Neergaard wrote for the Associated Press. “While ACIP has long focused on vaccine safety, the updated charter also echoes wording of vaccine critics about focusing on possible harms, such as studying ‘gaps in vaccine safety research’ and considering ‘cumulative effects’ of shots, which are considered settled science.”

The revised chapter sparked widespread concern. On April 15, over 130 organizations expressed alarm over the proposed changes and issued a statement in response.

“The 130+ undersigned medical, nursing, public health, and patient advocacy groups express our deep concern about the revised charter for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) published on April 9,” the statement stated. “The new charter substantively changes the focus of the committee and its membership structure, which could undermine confidence in vaccines and ultimately affect access to immunizations.”

“The new charter downplays the value of immunizations for both communities and individuals,” the statement continued. “The charter adds several new organizations as liaison members to the committee who are known for sharing false information, including the debunked link between vaccines and autism.”

“As medical, public health and patient advocacy organizations, we call for an ACIP charter that correctly and comprehensively evaluates scientific data and emphasizes weighing the benefits and risks of vaccines and reducing morbidity and mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases,” the organizations urged.

AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges), American College of Physicians (ACP), Families USA, and Autism Science Foundation were among the organizations that signed the statement.