Some members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice’s (ACIP) working groups, including physician groups and infectious disease specialists, were sent e-mails late Thursday notifying them that they will no longer serve on the subcommittees.
The groups were removed from the subcommittees because they were deemed biased by the Trump administration, according to a copy of the email shared with The Hill.
“By definition, Liason organizations are special interest groups and therefore are expected to have a ‘bias’ based on their constituency/and or population that they represent,” the email reads.
“It is important that the ACIP Workgroup activities remain free of influence from any special interest groups so ACIP workgroups will no longer include Liason organizations.”
Eight of the advisory groups released a joint statement Friday saying they are “deeply disappointed” that they are now barred from informing the development of vaccine recommendations.
“For decades liaisons from our organizations have reviewed published and unpublished data and literature related to vaccine efficacy, effectiveness, and safety and provided unbiased input for ACIP’s consideration,” the statement reads.
“To remove our deep medical expertise from this vital and once transparent process is irresponsible, dangerous to our nation’s health, and will further undermine public and clinician trust in vaccines.”
The groups, which include the American Medical Association, as well as the Infectious Diseases Society of America, called on the Trump administration to reconsider their exclusion from the vaccine review process.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the CDC, said that experts will continue to be included in the review process based on “relevant experience and expertise.”
“Under the old ACIP, outside pressure to align with vaccine orthodoxy limited asking the hard questions,” the spokesperson wrote. “The old ACIP members were plagued by conflicts of interest, influence and bias.”
The notice is the latest move from the Trump administration to shake up the nation’s vaccine policy and is another major change to the CDC’s advisory panel on vaccines.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr abruptly fired all 17 sitting members of ACIP in early June, accusing them of having conflicts of interest and rubber-stamping decisions related to the COVID-19 vaccine.
He then replaced the panel with eight hand-picked appointees, including some vaccine skeptics.
