HealthyWomen shares the concerns of leading medical associations and public health organizations about the recent decision by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to abruptly dismiss all 17 sitting members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the CDC on the use of vaccines in the U.S.

The ACIP is a group of unpaid experts who provide recommendations on how to best apply research findings on vaccine use to the benefit of public health. The committee has served as a trusted national source of data-driven advice on the use of vaccines to prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases for decades.

The ACIP recommendations are relied upon by healthcare providers, public health officials, community leaders and families for guidance. Their decisions also influence what vaccines are covered by insurance, which largely determines patient access.

We now urge government leadership to maintain a scientifically grounded process with the ACIP to determine best use of immunizations. We support decisions that encourage trust and confidence in evidence-based, patient-centric public health practices for vaccine use.

We renew our call to reverse the decision on Covid-19 vaccines during pregnancy as outlined in our recent statement. As always, we recommend speaking to your doctor or healthcare provider regarding health decisions.

For more perspectives, visit Experts Sound Alarm after ACIP Members Removed on the website of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).