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3w ago

ACIP Reconvenes to Vote on Key Vaccine Updates After Two-Month Delay

The panel addresses COVID-19 strategy shifts, RSV vaccine recommendations, and the future of critical public health programs.

A general view of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia September 30, 2014. REUTERS/Tami Chappell/File Photo
FILE - A sign stands at an entrance to the main campus of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, File)
A view shows MMR vaccine at the City of Lubbock Health Department in Lubbock, Texas, U.S. February 27, 2025. REUTERS/Annie Rice/File Photo
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr speaks during a Make Indiana Healthy Again initiative event in Indianapolis, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Overview

  • The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) resumed its meetings after a nearly two-month delay caused by administrative changes under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
  • The committee is deliberating a shift from universal COVID-19 booster recommendations to a risk-based approach targeting high-risk groups for the 2025–2026 season.
  • A proposal to lower the recommended age for RSV vaccination to adults 50 and older is under review to better protect vulnerable populations from severe complications.
  • Delays in ACIP meetings have raised concerns about the Vaccines for Children program, potentially jeopardizing free flu shots for children this fall.
  • Operational disruptions at the CDC, including staffing cuts and technical issues, have highlighted challenges in maintaining effective public health communication and resources.