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ACIP Weighs Changes to Childhood Shots as Fired CDC Director Details Political Pressure

The revamped panel is considering a delay to the hepatitis B birth dose, a move that could change access and insurance coverage.

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WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 17: (L-R) Former Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry and former Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Susan Monarez testify before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on September 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. The committee is hearing testimony from fired CDC employees and the implications on children’s health. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Overview

  • At a Senate hearing, former CDC director Susan Monarez said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanded she pre-approve all vaccine recommendations and fire career vaccine officials, and she was removed after refusing; HHS says she distorted the exchange and that any changes will be science-based.
  • The reconstituted Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is meeting Sept. 18–19 to discuss guidance for hepatitis B, COVID-19 and the MMRV vaccine, including proposals to remove or delay the newborn hepatitis B dose to age four.
  • Kennedy dismissed the prior 17 ACIP members and installed new advisers, including critics of COVID vaccine policies, while former CDC leaders warn that limited working-group preparation undermines rigorous review.
  • Approval authority for any ACIP recommendations currently rests with acting CDC leadership under deputy health secretary Jim O’Neill, and shifts in guidance could affect Vaccines for Children eligibility and no-cost coverage under insurers.
  • Bipartisan oversight has intensified, with committee chair Sen. Bill Cassidy cautioning against dropping the hepatitis B birth dose and citing recent measles deaths, as senior CDC resignations followed Monarez’s ouster.