The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recently been at the center of big changes, raising questions about how vaccines are reviewed, recommended, and communicated to the public. For this week’s Friday Five, we’re breaking down five key things you need to know about ACIP—its history, its role in shaping vaccine policy, and what recent developments could mean for families, healthcare providers, and public health.
History of ACIP
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) was established in 1964 by the U.S. Surgeon General to provide expert advice on vaccine use in the civilian population. Over the next 50 years, ACIP evolved into a central authority for immunization policy, expanding its membership to include experts in infectious diseases, pediatrics, internal medicine, epidemiology, and public health. Initially focused on a small set of vaccines, the committee’s scope grew as new vaccines were developed and immunization programs became more complex. In 1978, ACIP was formally chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, ensuring transparency and public accountability. By 2014, the committee had become the primary body guiding U.S. vaccine recommendations, balancing scientific evidence, public health priorities, and ethical considerations to reduce vaccine-preventable diseases nationwide.
Understanding the ACIP and How Vaccine Recommendations are Made in the US
Kennedy Ousts Key Medical Organizations from ACIP
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. directed the removal of traditional liaison organizations from ACIP’s working groups, citing concerns over “bias” from “special interest groups.” Notable organizations that lost their advisor roles include:
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Pediatrics
American College of Physicians
American Geriatrics Society
American Medical Association
American Osteopathic Association
Infectious Diseases Society of America
National Medical Association
Kennedy’s Eight New ACIP Appointees
Below is a list of the eight new members appointed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to ACIP in June 2025. ACIP Committee members and representatives serve on the Committee voluntarily.Joseph R. Hibbeln, M.D. – Nutritional neuroscientist, formerly NIH
- Joseph R. Hibbeln, M.D. – Nutritional neuroscientist, formerly NIH
- Vicky Pebsworth, Ph.D., R.N. – Nurse, board member of the National Vaccine Information Center
- Michael A. Ross, M.D. – OB-GYN and healthcare entrepreneur
- James (Vincent) Pagano, M.D. – Emergency medicine physician
- Robert W. Malone, M.D. – Physician and researcher, known for claims about mRNA vaccine development
- Martin Kulldorff, Ph.D. – Biostatistician and epidemiologist, Great Barrington Declaration co-author
- H. Cody Meissner, M.D. – Pediatric infectious disease specialist, Dartmouth
- Retsef Levi, Ph.D. – MIT professor of operations management
HHS Revives Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the reinstatement of the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines, a federal panel created by Congress to improve the safety, quality, and oversight of vaccines administered to American children.
ICYMI – Our other Friday Fives.
