Senators Condemn HHS Secretary's Decision to Gut ACIP Committee

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and 19 of her colleagues have condemned U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s decision to fire the members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and appoint several members with a documented history of anti-vaccine ideology. The Senators expressed concern that this move will strip Americans of the ability to make informed decisions about vaccinations and put American lives at risk. They urged Secretary Kennedy to immediately reappoint the members of the committee he fired and remove those with a history of peddling misinformation.

Key Takeaways:

• The Senators stated that firing every member of the ACIP committee just before their next meeting scheduled for June 25-27 eliminates the advisory board's ability to debate and make well-informed recommendations, putting American lives at risk.
• Over 80 percent of parents with children under age 18 report that their children receive routine immunizations, but a divide based on political ideology is growing.
• The HHS decision appears to be a deliberate effort to repopulate the committee with anti-vaccine demagogues and continue pushing vaccine misinformation to the American people.
• The Kaiser Family Foundation reported that the CDC has recommended COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women and children, but the HHS has narrowed these recommendations, excluding healthy pregnant people and children.
• The HHS has also terminated a contract with Moderna to develop a bird flu vaccine, despite warnings of a future pandemic from infectious disease doctors and public health professionals.
• The actions of the HHS contradict Secretary Kennedy's written responses to questions for the record from the Senate Finance Committee, in which he said "yes" to a question about his commitment to ensure there are no financial barriers to accessing safe and effective vaccines.

Statistics:

• Over 80 percent of parents with children under age 18 report that their children receive routine immunizations (Kaiser Family Foundation).
• 30-year measles outbreak in the United States has led to growing concerns about vaccine misinformation and its impact on public health.
• 80 percent of Americans trust the science behind vaccines, but a divide based on political ideology is growing (Kaiser Family Foundation).

Sources:

• United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth, June 13, 2025
• Letter from Senators to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
• Kaiser Family Foundation
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
• Senate Finance Committee