U.S. Vaccine Panel Chair Says Polio and Measles Shots Should Be Optional

Overview

• In a podcast released Thursday, ACIP chair Dr. Kirk Milhoan said vaccine recommendations will prioritize individual autonomy and that polio, measles and possibly all vaccines should be optional.
• Milhoan called mandatory vaccination “medical battery,” argued improved sanitation and medical care change risk calculations, and signaled a broad reevaluation of longstanding guidance.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association criticized his comments as dangerous and not grounded in science, warning of preventable illness and deaths.
• The remarks come after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced ACIP members and federal officials cut the childhood schedule from 17 to 11 shots, moves facing an AAP-led lawsuit as many states and insurers continue following the prior schedule.
• The debate intensifies as the U.S. reports 416 measles cases across 14 states this year with 94% unvaccinated, and Milhoan also claimed to have seen unpublished FDA data suggesting pediatric COVID‑vaccine deaths.