This week, the California Medical Association (CMA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and more than 100 national and state medical organizations submitted a joint letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., demanding the immediate reinstatement of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) members following their sudden and unjustified removal.

The letter sharply criticizes Secretary Kennedy’s decision to terminate the entire ACIP membership — an unprecedented move that dismantles a long-standing, independent panel of vaccine experts tasked with guiding federal immunization policy. The signatories warned that eliminating this respected body threatens public confidence in vaccines and risks unraveling decades of progress in controlling preventable diseases.

Undermining Trust and Vaccine Access

“ACIP has, for decades, been a trusted advisory to CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services leadership, providing evidence-based recommendations regarding vaccinations through a transparent public process,” the organizations wrote. “Removing a panel of independent experts appointed through a transparent, public nomination process and selected for their expertise on this issue will undoubtedly seek to sow further doubt and cause growing confusion among healthcare professionals and their patients, leading to additional increases in potentially serious illness among our patients.”

The letter also highlights the far-reaching implications for vaccine access, as ACIP recommendations directly shape coverage decisions by both private health insurers and public health programs. Without ACIP’s trusted guidance, insurers may drop coverage for critical vaccines — creating new barriers to access at a time when immunization rates are already faltering and outbreaks are on the rise.

“For many patients, a lack of coverage will effectively mean a lack of access, thereby raising the risks of increased spread of vaccine-preventable disease,” the letter warns.

CMA Urges Return to Science-Based Oversight

CMA and its partners are calling on HHS to reinstate the ousted ACIP members and recommit to the established, evidence-based process that prioritizes science over politics.

A critical step in preserving access and promoting trust in these life-saving immunizations is to continue our decades long commitment to a transparent and independent review of evidence-based recommendations by unbiased clinical experts.

Secretary Kennedy announced eight new advisers on June 11, including individuals who have previously expressed skepticism about established vaccine policies. The abrupt dismissal of all prior ACIP members has raised serious concerns about the committee’s ability to deliver apolitical, science-based recommendations.

“We are already seeing the consequences of vaccine misinformation, with preventable diseases like measles seeing a resurgence across the country,” said CMA President Shannon Udovic-Constant, M.D. “Public health should never be sacrificed to political theater.”

ACIP’s next meeting is scheduled for June 25. Both AMA and CMA continue to monitor the situation closely and are advocating for transparent, science driven vaccine oversight.

Read the full letter.