Leading medical organizations in the United States have been excluded from participating in workgroups that develop vaccination recommendations, marking a dramatic shift in how the nation's vaccine policy is formulated. The American Medical Association (AMA), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Physicians (ACP), and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) are among more than half a dozen organizations that received email notifications last Thursday informing them of their removal from Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) workgroups.
The email communications characterized these respected medical organizations as "special interest groups and therefore are expected to have a 'bias' based on their constituency and/or population that they represent." This decision represents the latest development in an ongoing dispute involving ACIP, which has guided U.S. vaccine policy since 1964.
Unprecedented Changes to Vaccine Advisory Structure
The exclusions follow Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s abrupt dismissal of the entire ACIP in June, citing concerns that the committee was too aligned with vaccine manufacturers. Kennedy subsequently replaced the committee members with individuals more aligned with his vaccine-skeptical views, including some who have testified in lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies alleging harm from immunization.
William Schaffner, M.D., a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert with decades of ACIP involvement, explained that input from professional medical groups historically ensured ACIP recommendations were practical for physicians and bolstered public trust by securing support from respected medical organizations. All workgroup members undergo vetting for conflicts of interest to prevent financial or other ties to vaccines under review.
Medical Community Response
The affected organizations issued a joint statement expressing their alarm at being characterized as biased and excluded from the scientific review process. "To remove our deep medical expertise from this vital and once transparent process is irresponsible, dangerous to our nation's health, and will further undermine public and clinician trust in vaccines," the organizations stated.
Additional medical groups affected by the exclusions include the American Geriatrics Society, American Osteopathic Association, National Medical Association, and National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. These organizations have historically provided expert insight to inform ACIP deliberations by evaluating data from vaccine manufacturers and the CDC.
Impact on Vaccine Policy Development
ACIP workgroups play a crucial role in reviewing scientific evidence and providing recommendations that shape medical practice and enable insurance coverage for vaccines. CDC directors typically endorse ACIP recommendations, which become the standard for how FDA-approved vaccines should be used across the United States.
The AMA has previously criticized Kennedy for selecting new ACIP members "without transparency and proper vetting" and has called for the earlier roster to be reinstated. The organization pledged to "closely monitor the developments of ACIP and encourage the administration to recommit to maintaining vaccine access for all Americans."
The medical organizations strongly urged the administration to reconsider the exclusions, emphasizing their desire to continue participating in the ACIP vaccine review process to maintain confidence in vaccine recommendations for their patients. The move appears calculated to prevent scrutiny from organizations that have been critical of the direction taken by the CDC and other federal health agencies under Kennedy's leadership.
