STAT+: Representatives of expert groups to be barred from work supporting CDC’s vaccine advisers

Helen Branswell covers issues broadly related to infectious diseases, including outbreaks, preparedness, research, and vaccine development. Follow her on Mastodon and Bluesky . You can reach Helen on Signal at hbranswell.01. The restructuring of the panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccination policy took another turn Thursday, with the apparent barring of some experts from medical and public health groups from subcommittees that do the bulk of the body’s work. The move comes after health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in early June, replacing them with seven individuals with limited related expertise. Several of them have publicly expressed skepticism about vaccines. Advertisement Sources told STAT that at least some members of the ACIP’s work groups received a notice informing them they could no longer serve on the subcommittees. These individuals were representatives of organizations that have “liaison” status on the ACIP — groups like the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Nurses Association, and the Association of Immunization Managers.