Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease Statement on the Removal of All ACIP Members

June 9, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) – The Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease (PFID) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services removing all members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP):

“The U.S. is a healthier country because of vaccines, and ACIP has played a critical role in publicly discussing, evaluating, and formulating vaccine recommendations. Without question, this process has strengthened Americans’ protection against preventable diseases. ACIP operates with tremendous transparency. Today, all 17 independent experts were unceremoniously dismissed through an op-ed.

“In justifying this unprecedented decision, HHS cited an investigation from 25 years ago that predated every current ACIP member by more than two decades and, ironically, resulted in stronger policies that have been in place since then.

“Experience is not a conflict of interest. ACIP’s experts represent the best and brightest in the U.S. medical field, carefully making decisions based on the latest evidence. Meetings are video-streamed live and archived for the public. Committee members are vetted for any conflicts of interest. Their contributions are highly respected by U.S. health care providers, public health experts, and the public in general.

“We call on policymakers to reverse ACIP’s upheaval and ensure science, not sentiment, guides the government’s responsibility to protect Americans from preventable diseases.”