CDC Vaccine Panel Meets for First Time After RFK Jr Expelled Former Members

Today, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which provides recommendations to the CDC, is convening for a 2-day meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, amid mounting controversy.1

Controversy surrounds the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP’s) first meeting under new leadership as vaccine skeptics join the panel. | Image credit: Tada Images - stock.adobe.com

Earlier this month, just days after announcing the dismissal of all 17 members of ACIP, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr appointed 8 new members to the panel, stating the shake-up was intended to restore public trust in vaccines.2 However, the inclusion of individuals who have previously expressed antivaccine views has raised alarm among some medical experts.

Vaccine Skeptics Among ACIP Panel

Among the new appointees announced on June 11 are Robert Malone, MD, and Martin Kulldorff, PhD—both of whom have previously downplayed the severity of COVID-19 and voiced skepticism toward vaccines.2 Other newly named members include Joseph Hibbeln, MD; Retsef Levi, PhD; H. Cody Meissner, MD; James Pagano, MD; Vicky Pebsworth, PhD, RN; and Michael Ross, MD.

Traditionally meeting 3 times a year, the committee plays a crucial role in shaping the national vaccine schedule and influencing coverage decisions by insurers and government programs.3 However, the lead-up to this week’s meeting has been marked by controversy following Kennedy’s decision to dismiss and replace all members, an unprecedented move.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has now chosen to publish its own independent vaccine schedule, declaring the ACIP process no longer credible.1 The changes to ACIP membership have also drawn bipartisan concern, with Sen Bill Cassidy (R, Louisiana) warning of panelist bias and Rep Kim Schrier (D, Washington) directly blaming Kennedy for undermining vaccine policy and public health.

COVID-19 Epidemiology for Adults

Adam MacNeil, PhD, MBA, deputy branch chief for Epidemiology, Respiratory Viruses Branch, CDC, presented data on COVID-19 epidemiology for adults, finding that rates of COVID-19–associated hospitalizations are highest among older adult age groups, including those aged 65 years and older and 75 years and older. MacNeil noted that while rates have decreased over time, cumulative rates among those aged 75 years and older remain high. Furthermore, the risk of hospitalization with COVID-19 continues year-round, peaking in the winter and summer.

Additionally, the data finds that 65% of adults aged 65 years and older hospitalized with COVID-19 had no record of receiving 1 or more doses of the recommended 2024-2025 vaccine prior to hospitalization.

Among SARS-CoV-2–positive pregnant women admitted during April 2024 to March 2025 with no COVID-19–related symptoms on admission, half had no underlying conditions, and most (92%) had no record of COVID-19 vaccination since July 1, 2023, according to the data presented.

In May, Kennedy announced that the CDC will no longer recommend routine COVID-19 vaccination for healthy children and pregnant women—a move made without a formal vote from ACIP.4 In a social media video, Kennedy shared the announcement alongside FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, and National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, stating the decision reflects a lack of clinical data supporting repeat boosters in children. However, as of several hours after the announcement, the CDC’s official immunization schedules continued to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for children 6 months and older, as well as pregnant adults, citing data showing increased risks of severe outcomes without vaccination.

Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines

Compared with no in-season dose, COVID-19 vaccination provides additional protection against emergency department and urgent care visits among children and adults, hospitalizations among adults aged 65 years and older with and without immunocompromising conditions, and critical illness among adults aged 65 years and older, McNeil presented.

In a concluding statement, the data also states that vaccine effectiveness should be interpreted as the added benefit of 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccination in a population with high levels of infection-induced immunity, vaccine-induced immunity, or both.

However, the presentation was met with some scrutiny, with some panel members suggesting the data may have led to overrepresentation of the vaccine’s effectiveness.

RSV, Flu Shot Protections to Be Discussed

The ACIP’s meeting will also include votes on key vaccine recommendations, including protections against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and seasonal flu.1 The agenda, revised abruptly last week, opens with a discussion on COVID-19 vaccines, followed by RSV-related decisions.

References

1. Stobbe M, Neergaard A. CDC vaccine panel holds meeting after RFK Jr. ousts and replaces expert former members. Associated Press. June 25, 2025. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/watch-live-cdc-vaccine-panel-holds-meeting-after-rfk-jr-ousts-and-replaces-expert-former-members

2. Bonavitacola J. Vaccine skeptics among CDC vaccine panel replacements named by RFK Jr. AJMC®. June 12, 2025. Accessed June 25, 2025. https://www.ajmc.com/view/vaccine-skeptics-among-cdc-vaccine-panel-replacements-named-by-rfk-jr

3. Huang P. RFK Jr’s picks for CDC vaccine advisers meet this week amid controversy. NPR. June 25, 2025. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/06/25/nx-s1-5438482/cdc-vaccine-committee-acip-meeting-rfk

4. Klein H. CDC pulls COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for pregnant women, healthy children. AJMC. May 27, 2025. Accessed June 25, 2025. https://www.ajmc.com/view/cdc-pulls-covid-19-vaccine-recommendation-for-pregnant-women-healthy-children