Overview
- The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts seeks to restore the schedule to its April 15, 2025 state and to halt the current ACIP panel from meeting in February.
- HHS/CDC this month narrowed universal childhood recommendations to 11 diseases after a presidential directive to compare peer nations, shifting flu, COVID-19 and rotavirus to shared decision-making and limiting hepatitis A, hepatitis B, RSV and meningococcal vaccines to high-risk use.
- HHS says insurers will still cover vaccines moved off the universal list, a point medical groups argue does not resolve access and public-health risks.
- Plaintiffs, including the AAP, ACP and IDSA, call the changes unlawful and dangerous, citing a lack of new evidence and warning of higher burdens from preventable illness.
- Kennedy replaced the prior ACIP membership and added new appointees who question vaccines, while HHS maintains the committee is operating lawfully and plans to proceed with its February meeting.