Overview

• Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos, co-leader of the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine working group, resigned in early June, expressing that recent policy changes prevented her from protecting vulnerable populations.
• In May, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. bypassed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to remove routine COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women.
• The CDC subsequently updated its schedule to allow healthy children to receive COVID-19 vaccines under a shared clinical decision-making model while dropping its pregnancy recommendation.
• With no confirmed director in place, CDC Chief of Staff Matthew Buzzelli has assumed some director duties despite his lack of a public health background.
• The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is scheduled to convene June 25–27 to deliberate and vote on COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, potentially restoring expert-driven guidance.