CDC, immunization, thimerosal, ACIP”>
ATLANTA,June 27,2025
Vaccine Doubts Rise at CDC
New advisory panel sparks worries over vaccine safety.
- New CDC advisory panel raises concerns about vaccine safety.
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. withdraws $1.2 billion from global immunization.
- Experts fear undermining public confidence in vaccines.
- Debate over thimerosal in vaccines resurfaces.
The safety and efficacy of well-established vaccines are now being questioned by a new advisory panel, making vaccine hesitancy a growing concern among public health officials.
Amidst simmering heat and vocal protests, a newly appointed advisory panel convened at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters, signaling a possibly seismic shift in the nation’s approach to immunization.
Martin Kulldorff chairs a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in Atlanta on June 25. It was the panel’s first as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all of its previous members and appointed new ones. (Ben Hendren/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Kennedy’s Controversial Moves
A Skeptical Stance
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP),a 60-year-old panel,appears to be pivoting from championing vaccine progress to expressing reservations about the safety and effectiveness of widely used inoculations.
Health and Human services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy jr.’s decision to withdraw a $1.2 billion U.S. commitment to global immunization overshadowed the discussions during the Wednesday meeting.
Critics argue that Kennedy’s action will have dire consequences, notably for children in the world’s most impoverished nations.
New Recommendations
Despite the controversy, the new ACIP made a proposal: a newly licensed vaccine for newborns to protect against a respiratory virus. Together, the panel suggested doctors discontinue using influenza vaccines containing thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative.
Given that onyl approximately 4% of flu vaccines currently contain thimerosal, this move, while aligned with Kennedy’s debunked claims about thimerosal causing autism, is expected to have minimal practical impact.
Concerns and Reactions
Undermining Confidence?
Vaccine advocates are particularly alarmed by the committee’s intention to reassess the government’s childhood vaccine schedule, fearing it could erode public trust and challenge established scientific consensus. It’s worth noting that at least three of the seven committee members have publicly opposed current vaccination practices.
The federal government is legally obligated to provide ACIP-recommended vaccines to lower-income children and other vulnerable populations. States generally adhere to ACIP’s guidance as well.
Setting a New Tone
“Secretary Kennedy has given this committee a clear mandate to use evidence-based medicine when making vaccination recommendations, and that’s what we will do,” said Martin Kulldorff, former Harvard University epidemiologist and the new chair of ACIP, in his opening remarks.
Kulldorff added, “There are no wrong questions,” announcing the formation of a working group to investigate potential over-vaccination in children and adolescents.Another group will re-evaluate the 34-year-old recommendation for a birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, a practice credited with dramatically reducing liver disease.
Kulldorff, who identifies as a COVID-19 contrarian, claims Harvard fired him for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine after contracting a severe case of the virus. He believes the reputations of science and public health are at an all-time low, though scientists and public health officials sharply disagree about the reasons.
The first measles case of the year in North Carolina was reported this week.
Expert Reactions
Caroline Brown, a pediatrician in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, attributed the decline in public trust to “fearmongering and pseudoscience.” she pointed out that the state’s first measles case of the year, reported this week, has sparked panic among families.
Measles, declared eliminated in the United States 25 years ago, “is back now because of declining rates of vaccination fueled by misinformation that is not only allowed but amplified by some of you sitting on this very committee,” Brown stated.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) responded by declining to send official liaisons to the meeting. On Thursday, the AAP announced it would continue to publish “its own evidence-based recommendations and schedules” for vaccines, openly criticizing Kennedy’s panel.
“What we heard in this meeting was really a false narrative that the current vaccine policies are flawed and that they need fixing,” said Sean O’Leary, a physician who chairs the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases. “That’s completely false.These policies have saved millions of lives, trillions of dollars.”
Has the CDC conducted studies on vaccine safety? The CDC’s immunization safety office has conducted studies on the entire vaccine schedule and found no harms, even though a 2023 study indicated a possible link between aluminum salts used in some shots and asthma.
Diverging Views
The CDC scientists presented studies affirming the safety and value of COVID-19 and RSV vaccines.However, manny ACIP members voiced skepticism.
Robert Malone, a biochemist, and Retsef Levi, an MIT management professor, both of whom have advocated for banning mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines, frequently dismissed the CDC’s analyses and data.
Malone, Levi, and Vicky Pebsworth, a vocal opponent of school vaccination requirements, raised concerns about “hot lots” of perilous shots, residual spike protein in the blood from mRNA vaccines, and insufficient vaccine safety monitoring.
While CDC scientists refuted most of these criticisms,the committee will ultimately determine policy recommendations.
Protests and Political Fallout
Outside the CDC
Outside the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, protesters dressed as vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, HPV, and chickenpox lined a busy street. Some carried balloon letters that spelled “R-E-S-T-O-R-E A-C-I-P.” Another demonstrator held a leg splint, a stark reminder of polio, a disease nearly eradicated by vaccination.
Many drivers honked their horns in support.
“You’re focusing on reinventing the wheel,” said Casey Boudreau, a CDC retiree who worked on vaccine-preventable diseases. “Do we need to go back and test airbags again? Or do we certainly know they work?”
Tony Fiore, a former ACIP liaison during his time at the CDC, expressed “great concern” that the committee’s actions would “reduce the confidence people have in vaccines and hurt our immunization programs.”
HHS Response
HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon briefly observed the rally, dismissing it via text message as “nothing more than a dog and pony show with a lack of serious credibility, evidenced by their Halloween costumes.”
Kennedy’s presence loomed large during the meeting, particularly after his announcement to abandon GAVI, an international organization that estimates its vaccine programs have saved 18 million lives, primarily in the world’s poorest countries.
The united States has historically provided 13% of GAVI’s budget, and President Joe Biden had pledged an additional $1.2 billion over four years. Deblina Datta, a CDC retiree after 24 years at the agency, believes Kennedy’s decision means that children “will miss lifesaving vaccines” against pneumonia, diarrhea, measles, polio, and other diseases.
“There will be deaths,” Datta said. “I am not being hyperbolic. This is a big blow for children worldwide.”
Kennedy justified his decision by stating that GAVI had not adequately promoted vaccine safety and accusing the group of censoring vaccine skeptics during the pandemic.
Thimerosal Debate Resurfaces
HPV Vaccine Reduction
Before Kennedy’s intervention,ACIP had been considering reducing HPV vaccinations,which protect against cervical cancer,from two doses to one,based on the effectiveness of a single dose.
It is indeed worth noting that Kennedy has earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees from a pending lawsuit against Merck over alleged injuries from one of the HPV vaccines.
The thimerosal Issue
While largely symbolic,the renewed debate over thimerosal also frustrated vaccine advocates. Public health agencies began removing thimerosal from nearly all childhood vaccines in 1999, driven by concerns that mercury accumulation, even in small amounts, could potentially harm children’s brains and, according to some, cause autism.
The removal of thimerosal from childhood vaccines did not impact autism rates.
Nurse Lyn Redwood, an early anti-thimerosal activist, presented a paper to ACIP on Thursday reiterating its alleged dangers. Her arguments mirrored those in a paper she co-wrote in 2001.
A CDC summary of evidence on thimerosal, concluding that the evidence did not link thimerosal in vaccines to autism or other developmental issues, was posted online alongside Redwood’s slides on tuesday but removed before the ACIP meeting began.
According to The Washington Post, Kennedy has appointed Redwood to a position in the CDC’s immunization safety office.
“Removing thimerosal from vaccines didn’t make them safer, just more expensive,” said Elias Kass, a naturopathic physician in Seattle, during a public comment session. “re-litigation of questions already answered, like the safety of thimerosal, is not advancing radical transparency – it is an insidious attempt to suggest that something was missed or hidden previously.”
The removal of thimerosal from all flu vaccines may also have drawbacks.
Seqirus and Sanofi still sell multi-dose flu vaccine vials containing thimerosal as a preservative. A single vaccination from these 10-dose vials costs significantly less than a single-shot prepackaged syringe,according to a CDC price list.
Seqirus spokesperson Melanie Kerin stated that the company would have no problem replacing its remaining multi-dose vials with single syringes in time for the flu season.
The recent changes at the CDC, sparked by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s influence, have ignited a fierce debate about vaccine hesitancy, a complex issue with far-reaching implications. This hesitancy, fueled by misinformation and doubt, impacts not only individual health but also community well-being.The new ACIP panel’s actions have raised further concerns, creating a critical moment for public health officials.
Public trust in vaccines is essential for protecting populations from preventable diseases. The ACIP’s new approach, however, threatens to undermine this trust. at the core of the controversy is the balance between promoting vaccine safety and efficacy, and addressing the concerns of those who express doubts about the established scientific consensus.
Past context of vaccine Acceptance
Vaccine programs rank among the moast successful public health interventions in history. They have eradicated smallpox, nearly eradicated polio, and dramatically reduced the incidence of diseases like measles and mumps. The CDC, the ACIP, and other organizations have developed systems to ensure continuous monitoring and evaluation to track and assess vaccine safety. Historically, these actions created a framework of reliability.
However, maintaining public trust requires constant vigilance. The anti-vaccine movement, which frequently enough spreads disinformation, has exploited vulnerabilities, including concerns about vaccine side effects. These campaigns frequently target parents’ fears, using complex scientific details to promote doubt and distrust. A clear example is the debate over vaccines and autism, which has been debunked by extensive scientific research.
Understanding the Complexities of Vaccine Hesitancy
Vaccine hesitancy isn’t simply a matter of “anti-vaxxers” versus proponents. It’s a spectrum. Some individuals may have genuine concerns, such as the potential for rare side effects, while others might potentially be influenced by misinformation or previous negative experiences with the healthcare system.Then, there are logistical and access barriers, such as the cost of vaccinations or a lack of transportation to vaccine clinics. Addressing vaccine hesitancy requires a multi-faceted approach.
Those hesitant about vaccines may need easily understood data, and not just highly scientific reports. Clarity from the CDC is vital, with an easy to understand explanation of the vaccine schedule and readily available studies.
Strategies to Build and Rebuild Trust
Addressing vaccine hesitancy means addressing the underlying causes. Several strategies may help to restore or build confidence in vaccines:
- Education and Information: Distribute clear, accurate information about vaccines, using accessible language and trusted sources.
- Open Communication: Engage in open dialogue and answer people’s questions related to vaccines, addressing their concerns honestly and transparently.
- Addressing Misinformation: Combat false information by debunking myths and promoting evidence-based information from trustworthy sources.
- Community Engagement: Partner with community leaders, healthcare professionals, and local organizations to spread awareness about vaccines.
- Improve Access: Make vaccines easier to access by offering clinics, mobile vaccination units, and other accessible options.
Why is vaccine hesitancy a growing public health concern? Vaccine hesitancy is a growing concern because it leads to reduced vaccination rates, increasing the risk of outbreaks and spreading of vaccine-preventable diseases.
How can public health officials address vaccine hesitancy? Building trust and open information, through educational campaigns and open communications, can help to address vaccine hesitancy, ensuring that communities are protected from preventable diseases.
What’s Next
Ultimately, the direction of the CDC and ACIP will substantially impact the public’s acceptance of vaccines. Addressing vaccine hesitancy isn’t merely a public health issue; it is indeed a measure of society’s confidence in science and the ability to protect its most vulnerable citizens.The decisions made by this new panel will shape the trajectory for immunization efforts for future generations.
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