HHS Adds Five New Members to CDC Vaccine Panel Amid Controversy

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has appointed five new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), continuing a controversial overhaul of the influential vaccine advisory panel. This development comes ahead of a crucial meeting scheduled for later this week, where the committee will discuss recommendations for several vaccines, including those for COVID-19.

New Appointments and Their Backgrounds

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the addition of Catherine M. Stein, Ph.D., Evelyn Griffin, M.D., Hilary Blackburn, Kirk Milhoan, M.D., Ph.D., and Raymond Pollak, M.D. to the ACIP. These appointments follow Kennedy's earlier decision to replace 17 of the panel's prior members with seven of his own selections over the summer.

The backgrounds of some new appointees have raised eyebrows in the medical community. Dr. Milhoan, for instance, is a senior fellow at the Independent Medical Alliance, an organization that has advocated for restricting the use of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 in pregnant women and children. Dr. Stein, an epidemiologist and professor at Case Western Reserve University, previously called for an end to university vaccine mandates and was labeled a "COVID-19 truther" by local media for her stance on the pandemic's severity.

Upcoming ACIP Meeting and Agenda

The newly constituted ACIP is set to convene on Thursday and Friday for its second meeting since the overhaul. The agenda includes discussions and potential votes on recommendations for several key vaccines:

1. Hepatitis B vaccinations at birth
2. Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines
3. COVID-19 vaccines

Notably, ACIP chair Martin Kulldorff, Ph.D., appointed by Kennedy, previously questioned the widespread practice of inoculating newborns against hepatitis B in hospitals.

Implications and Concerns

The reshaping of ACIP has sparked concerns among public health experts and some state officials. The perceived interference in vaccine policy by Kennedy, a long-time anti-vaccine activist, has led some states to consider taking vaccine policy into their own hands.

During its first session in June, the revamped panel voted to ban thimerosal, a vaccine preservative, in the United States. This decision has been met with skepticism from many in the scientific community, given that thimerosal was already used in less than 5% of flu shots in the country last year.

As the pharmaceutical industry and public health officials await the outcomes of this week's meeting, questions remain about the future direction of vaccine policy in the United States and the potential impact on public health initiatives.