The Vaccine Intelligence Report: May 13-19

The Vaccine Intelligence Report—brought to you by Vaccinate Your Family—provides clear, fact-based updates on vaccine policy, research, and public health each week. This report is part of Viral Truths, a resource designed to cut through the noise, offering concise information to help navigate the evolving immunization landscape.

THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE

  • HHS formally re-established ACIP’s charter after withdrawing an April revision, leaving questions about whether the agency may still seek to reshape the committee ahead of the June meeting, which is still listed on CDC’s website despite a court order temporarily barring the committee from convening
  • FDA leadership turnover continued across the agency’s drug and vaccine centers, adding uncertainty around regulatory decision-making and vaccine oversight
  • A new independent evidence review reaffirmed that Tdap vaccination during pregnancy is safe and helps protect infants from pertussis during their first months of life
  • Many sweeping anti-vaccine proposals have stalled in state legislatures, while other states including New York advance policies aimed at preserving vaccine access and state-level immunization authority
  • The U.S. has surpassed 2,000 measles cases since January of this year; Utah remains the current epicenter as spread continues across multiple states
  • A new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has raised global preparedness concerns, particularly given the rare strain involved and recent reductions in global public health capacity

NEED TO KNOW

HHS Re-Establishes ACIP Charter as Questions Continue Over Committee’s Future

  • The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) this week (May 19) published a Federal Register notice that formally re-establishes the charter for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), after withdrawing the revised charter it issued in April due to what the agency described as an “administrative error.”
    • The April charter revisions would have substantially expanded ACIP’s scope and broadened the qualifications for potential committee members beyond traditional vaccine, immunization and public health expertise.
    • For more details on the specific updates made to the charter, see the April 8-14 edition of the Vaccine Intelligence Report.
  • Importantly, while this week’s notice withdraws the amended charter from April, it does not clarify whether HHS intends to reissue the same revised language or pursue additional changes moving forward.
  • The development comes amid an ongoing lawsuit filed by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and several other leading public health groups challenging HHS’ actions related to ACIP and national vaccine policy.
    • In March, the federal judge presiding over the case ruled that the Administration’s restructuring of ACIP likely violated federal law, temporarily pausing the committee’s recent actions and preventing further meetings.
    • The judge raised concerns that the panel’s membership selection process and procedures undermined its ability to function as a properly balanced and scientifically credible federal advisory committee.
  • When the revised charter was first published last month, public health experts and medical organizations warned the updated language could allow HHS to reconstitute ACIP in a way that appears responsive to the court’s ruling while still appointing members who lack substantive vaccine expertise, disregard scientific consensus, or promote claims that lack credible evidence.
  • Also of note: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website currently states that ACIP’s next meeting remains scheduled for June 24-26. The timing of the notice raises questions about whether HHS may be preparing to reconstitute the committee before then, and whether any new appointments would address—or repeat—the concerns about expertise, balance, and scientific independence raised in court.

FDA Turnover Continues Across Drug and Vaccine Centers

  • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is facing continued leadership turnover following former Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary’s recent resignation.
  • The Acting Director of the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg, was fired on Friday (May 15). CDER regulates prescription, generic, and over-the-counter drugs, as well as biosimilars.
    • Høeg had led CDER since December 2025, after being appointed by Makary as a Special Assistant to the Commissioner on his first day in office (April 2025). She was the fifth person to head CDER since January 2025.
    • During her tenure, she co-wrote the assessment used to justify the January 2026 overhaul of the CDC-recommended childhood immunization schedule, which has since been halted by a preliminary injunction in the AAP lawsuitagainst HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
    • Dr. Michael Davis, who was previously serving as CDER Deputy Director, has replaced Høeg as Acting Director. There has been no reporting on who is under consideration to serve as the center’s permanent Director.
  • Katherine Szarama, Acting Director of the agency’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), has also left her position, though is expected to retain a role within the agency. CBER regulates biological products for human use, including vaccines.
    • Szarama had only served in the role since May 1, following Dr. Vinay Prasad’s exit. She has been replaced by FDA Advisor Karim Mikhail, a former pharmaceutical executive who joined the FDA as a Senior Advisor last year.
    • Dr. Houman Hemmati is reportedly under consideration to serve as the permanent CBER Director, though no final decision has been announced.
  • Other recent FDA departures include Chief AI Officer Jeremy Walsh, Deputy Chief of Staff Sam Doran, and Dr. Adam Sherwat, Director of CDER’s Office of Infectious Diseases.
  • The continued turnover leaves the FDA without stable leadership across several key offices responsible for drug and vaccine oversight. The instability could complicate ongoing regulatory decisions, slow agency operations, and deepen uncertainty around how vaccine-related policy and review decisions will be handled under the current Administration.
  • Under Kennedy’s leadership, HHS has undergone significant changes across agencies, which are laid out in the below graphic.
    • Currently, the CDC, FDA, and Office of the Surgeon General all lack permanent leadership. On Tuesday (May 19), Kennedy tapped Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos—naming her temporary Surgeon General—to assume some of the responsibilities of the role.

Screenshot 2026-05-20 at 10.08.50 AM.png

Sources: CIDRAP, Viral Truths

Evidence Review Reaffirms Tdap Vaccination During Pregnancy as Safe and Protective

  • An independent evidence review of tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccination during pregnancy reaffirms that the vaccine is safe and helps protect infants from pertussis—also known as whooping cough—during their first months of life.
    • The Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP)—an initiative of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)—conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the safety, effectiveness, and immunogenicity of Tdap vaccination during pregnancy.
  • Pertussis can be especially dangerous for infants, who are at highest risk for severe illness, hospitalization, and death before they are old enough to begin the childhood diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine series at 2 months. In infants younger than 12 months, common complications include apnea and pneumonia; more severe complications can include seizures, encephalopathy, and death.
    • The disease can also take a prolonged toll beyond the initial infection. Pertussis is marked by intense coughing fits that can last for weeks, and patient stories underscore the burden: Vaccinate Your Family has shared the story of Dylan, who contracted pertussis as a 10-year-old and experienced a debilitating cough for a year.
  • The review found that Tdap vaccination during pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of pertussis infection in infants, as well as lower risk of serious complications, including pertussis-related hospitalization, emergency department visits, and death.
  • Importantly, the review found no meaningful safety concerns for pregnant people or infants, including no increased risk of stillbirth, preterm birth, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, congenital anomalies, neonatal complications, or serious adverse events.
  • The findings come as pertussis cases have increased following a downward trend and low case counts during the Covid pandemic. In 2025, the U.S. reported more than 28,000 pertussis cases and 16 deaths, most among infants under age 1.
  • The review reinforces the importance of Tdap vaccination during every pregnancy as a safe and effective way to protect newborns during the period when they are most vulnerable and too young to be vaccinated themselves.

STATE POLICY SPOTLIGHT

States Reject Many Anti-Vaccine Proposals as Public Health Groups Push Back Against MAHA-Backed Legislation

  • State legislatures across the U.S. introduced hundreds of vaccine-related bills this session, many aimed at weakening school vaccine requirements, expanding exemptions, or limiting public health authority.
  • Many of the most sweeping anti-vaccine proposals have stalled or failed amid opposition from physicians, public health organizations, and bipartisan lawmakers concerned about the potential impact on vaccination rates and outbreak risk.
    • In states including Iowa and New Hampshire, efforts to significantly weaken school vaccine requirements failed—in part due to increasing state-level public health and vaccine advocacy.
    • At the same time, some states continue advancing narrower vaccine-related measures, including bills expanding religious exemptions, restricting school-based vaccination clinics, or limiting the authority of state health agencies.
  • Public health groups said the legislative activity reflects a broader national divide over vaccine policy that intensified during and after the Covid pandemic.

New York Signs Laws to Preserve Vaccine Access, Illinois and West Virginia Continue Vaccine Policy Debates

  • On Friday (May 15), New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed two vaccine-related bills intended to preserve vaccine access and strengthen the state’s authority over immunization policy.
    • A10710 requires insurers to cover vaccines recommended by the state, informed by leading medical organizations—ensuring coverage extends beyond federal guidance alone.
    • A10711 aligns childhood immunization requirements with standards set by the state health commissioner, allowing the state to rely on guidance from major medical organizations in addition to federal recommendations. It also expands pharmacists’ ability to administer Covid vaccines—from adults 18 and older to all people over age two.
  • Illinois lawmakers continue to consider SB 3487, which would update hospital vaccination policies and further decouple state vaccine guidance from federal recommendations.
  • Meanwhile, litigation is ongoing in West Virginia over religious exemptions to school vaccine requirements.
    • Governor Patrick Morrisey has asked the state Supreme Court to uphold a lower court ruling that would allow religious exemptions under the state’s Equal Protection for Religion Act, keeping the state at the center of one of the country’s most closely watched vaccine policy disputes.

OUTBREAK OUTLOOK

News on respiratory virus season, measles, pertussis, and other vaccine-preventable and infectious disease outbreaks.

Measles Continues to Spread Across U.S. as Cases Surpass 2,000

  • As of May 15, the U.S. has reported 2,006 measles cases in 2026—an increase of 39 cases in the last week. The U.S. recorded 2,214 cases in all of 2025, a year that broke a three-decade record.
    • Florida recorded no new measles cases during the week ending May 9 (the most recent week of state data).
    • Kansas officials last week (May 14) reported the state’s first case of measles this year.
    • Officials in Michigan reported one measles case last Friday (May 15)—the state’s 2026 total is 13 cases.
    • Pennsylvania has recorded six new measles cases since May 8, including two new cases reported Monday (May 18). This brings the state’s total to 30 this year.
    • Utah remains the current U.S. measles epicenter. The state recorded eight new measles cases in the past week, bringing its 2026 total to 474 cases.
    • Officials in Virginia have declared a measles outbreak in Buckingham County after 12 new cases were confirmed. Total 2026 cases in the state have reached 36, though officials warn true case counts are likely higher.

Ebola Outbreak in Congo Raises Global Preparedness Concerns

  • The Democratic Republic of Congo declared an Ebola outbreak on May 15 after health officials identified multiple cases in the country’s northeastern region near the Ugandan border. On May 16, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the outbreak as a global public health emergency amid concerns about cross-border spread and regional healthcare capacity.
    • As of Tuesday (May 19), the Congolese Health Ministry estimates that at least 131 people have died and 531 have been infected.
  • Ebola is a severe viral hemorrhagic disease that spreads through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected individuals (and sometimes animals) which can also occur through contaminated objects such as needles and medical equipment. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and bleeding, and can progress to organ failure.
    • This outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus—a rare strain of Ebola for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. WHO has reported that previous outbreaks of this strain (in 2007 and 2012) resulted in fatality ratesbetween 30% and 50%.
  • The outbreak has renewed attention on global health preparedness and the ability of international health agencies to rapidly identify and contain emerging infectious diseases before they spread beyond regional borders.
    • Some public health experts have warned that the recent reductions in CDC staffing and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) international operations, alongside the U.S. withdrawal from WHO, may complicate outbreak response efforts.

REALITY CHECK

These fact checks respond to several recent claims made by different groups and individuals.

CLAIM: We don’t know enough about vaccination during pregnancy; it could be dangerous for both mothers and babies.

  • REALITY: A large and growing body of evidence shows that recommended maternal immunizations are safe and effective—and help protect both pregnant women and their babies during a period of increased vulnerability.
  • Pregnant women are at significantly higher risk of severe illness from respiratory infections, including influenza (flu) and Covid, while infants are especially vulnerable to diseases like pertussis and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) before they are old enough to be fully vaccinated.
  • The evidence base is substantial. Systematic reviews, including large studies, have found no increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with recommended maternal vaccines, including flu, Tdap, RSV, and Covid vaccines.
  • The benefits are also well documented. Maternal flu vaccination is associated with lower risk of flu illness and flu-related hospitalization for vaccinated pregnant individuals and their infants, while Tdap vaccination during pregnancy has reducedthe incidence of pertussis in infants’ first months of life.
    • Newer RSV prevention tools are already demonstrating positive impacts. During the 2024-2025 season, after maternal RSV vaccination and infant monoclonal antibody (mAb) protection became widely available, RSV-associated hospitalization rates were lower among infants ages 0 to 7 months compared with pre-pandemic seasons, with the largest reductions among infants ages 0 to 2 months.
  • Leading maternal and child health organizations—including ACOG and the American College of Nurse-Midwives—continue to strongly support evidence-based maternal immunization.

WHAT TO WATCH

HHS Faces Deadline on Vaccine Injury Table Petition

  • A 60-day deadline is set to expire this week for HHS to respond to a petition from the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN), an anti-vaccine advocacy group with close ties to Kennedy.
    • ICAN is seeking to add more than 300 conditions to the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) Vaccine Injury Table, which identifies injuries presumed to be caused by covered vaccines if they occur within a defined timeframe.
  • Aaron Siri, a vaccine injury lawyer and Kennedy ally, filed a formal notice stating that ICAN will sue if HHS does not act before the deadline.
  • If filed, the lawsuit could escalate broader efforts to expand how vaccine-related injuries are defined and compensated. Public health and legal experts have warnedthat adding conditions without strong evidence of causation could strain VICP, create legal uncertainty, and further politicize vaccine safety oversight.

SAVRR Council to Convene in June on Fall Respiratory Vaccine Recommendations 

  • The Summit Adult Vaccine Recommendations Review (SAVRR) Council is scheduled to meet June 9 to discuss implementation of fall respiratory season vaccine recommendations.
    • According to the meeting agenda, the council is expected to finalize provider-focused recommendations ahead of the 2026-2027 respiratory virus season, providing guidance intended to help clinicians navigate evolving recommendations for Covid, flu, and RSV vaccines.
  • SAVRR—a coalition of clinicians, pharmacists, immunization experts, and healthcare leaders—was established to help improve coordination and consistency around immunization recommendations following growing confusion and fragmentation across the vaccine policy landscape.
    • While historically, CDC vaccine recommendations have served as central guidelines for clinicians, insurers, pharmacies, and public health organizations nationwide, recent disputes and shifts in federal vaccine policy have increasingly prompted outside organizations to issue their own guidance—which has helped preserve access to evidence-based guidelines but has also created new challenges around consistency and implementation.

CDC Considering Medical Code for Covid Vaccine Injury

  • The CDC is considering a proposal to create a new medical code to track adverse effects of the Covid vaccine, following the close of a public comment period last Friday (May 15).
  • Anti-vaccine advocacy group Children’s Health Defense (CHD) has pushed for the creation of such a code, while organizations including the Alliance for Aging Research have submitted comments in opposition.
    • Health experts say that because “post-Covid-19 vaccination syndrome” is not a clearly defined clinical term, it is unlikely that a new code would benefit doctors or patients.
  • If accepted as written, the new code would go into effect on October 1, 2027.

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