Major U.S. Physician Groups Excluded from Federal Vaccine Panel

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly dismissed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on June 9, 2025, in a sweeping leadership change he described as necessary to remove conflicts of interest and restore public trust in vaccine science.

Days later, eight leading medical associations—including the American Medical Association (AMA), American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians, American Geriatrics Society, American Osteopathic Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and National Medical Association—received notice that they would be excluded from participating in ACIP vaccine workgroupsand reviewing scientific data.

These liaison organizations, each one bringing decades of provider-side clinical insight into vaccine policy, released a joint statement sharply condemning the move:

“We are deeply disappointed and alarmed that our organizations are being characterized as ‘biased’ and therefore barred from reviewing scientific data and informing the development of vaccine recommendations… To remove our deep medical expertise from this vital and once‑transparent process is irresponsible, dangerous to our nation’s health, and will further undermine public and clinician trust in vaccines.”

In lieu of calling on any previous president, their appeal urged this administration to reverse course and restore participation in the ACIP scientific process.

Expert Community Warns of Eroded Scientific Integrity

In a New England Journal of Medicine commentary, the 17 former ACIP members raised concerns that the abrupt staffing overhaul has “rapidly eroded” the previously established scientific rigor. They argued that placing a panel made up largely of individuals linked to anti‑vaccine advocacy threatens transparent and evidence-based policy.

Public health leaders such as Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, warned that the action removes experienced vaccine experts in favor of political appointees “with nowhere near the academic or science experience of the previous panel.”

USPSTF Changes Stir New Worry

The AMA also issued a formal letter on July 27, 2025, urging Secretary Kennedy to retain existing members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and maintain the panel’s regular meeting cadence to ensure the continuity of its nonpartisan, science‑based preventive care recommendations—widely used in clinical decision-making and insurance coverage frameworks.

Why This Matters for Los Angeles Physicians

• Disrupted vaccine policy process: Excluding established liaison associations risks losing valuable clinical-grounded input into vaccine scheduling, efficacy, and safety determinations.

• Eroded provider–patient trust: As physicians, having evidence-based recommendations grounded in multidisciplinary disease expertise is essential when counseling patients.

• Local implications: Changes at the federal level can affect state vaccine guidance in California, influencing provider participation in public health programs and insurance reimbursement.