Newsletters

HHS released another new ACIP charter that could reshape the committee’s membership, scope, meeting cadence, and relationship to VFC coverage; newly released internal emails show behind-the-scenes pressure on CDC vaccine policy, communications, ACIP membership, and potential VFC program changes.

An FDA advisory panel backed a mRNA flu vaccine for adults ages 50 and older; separately the agency also approved expanded use of a new pneumococcal vaccine for higher-risk children and teens; Senate Democrats launched an inquiry into HHS vaccine policy changes, requesting records related to Kennedy’s dismissal and reconstitution of ACIP.

HHS is seeking an expedited appeal in the ACIP vaccine policy lawsuit, as uncertainty continues around the committee’s ability to issue timely recommendations ahead of the fall respiratory virus season; ACOG released its own maternal immunization schedule, continuing to recommend Covid vaccination during pregnancy despite recent changes to federal guidance.

An additional study about vaccine safety used in HHS vaccine-related decision-making has been retracted; Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a bill to eliminate the state’s non-medical exemption to school immunization requirements, which supporters say would curb growing exemption rates in the state.

Trump signed an EO directing the CDC and ACIP to align the recommended childhood immunization schedule with an HHS assessment of “peer, developed countries,” though ongoing litigation limits any immediate effect; VRBPAC recommended updating the 2026-2027 Covid vaccines to target XFG, signaling continuity in the strain-selection process despite broader vaccine policy disruption.

NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya faced scrutiny from lawmakers over proposed budget cuts and leadership instability at NIAID, raising concerns about impacts on infectious disease, vaccine, and outbreak preparedness research; A now public FDA analysis found no child deaths could be definitively linked to Covid vaccination, contradicting prior unsupported claims from former CBER Director Dr. Vinay Prasad.

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.

FDA Commissioner Makary has resigned, marking the latest in a series of leadership disruptions across HHS agencies; A new systematic review found no evidence linking aluminum in vaccines to autism or other chronic health conditions, adding to a significant body of evidence.

HHS leadership continues to evolve: Trump nominated Nicole Saphier for Surgeon General, and the FDA named Katherine Szarama as Acting Director of CBER (the agency’s vaccine center), replacing Vinay Prasad; the DOJ appealed a preliminary injunction that blocked several of Kennedy’s vaccine policy changes as AAP’s lawsuit against HHS proceeds, though the government did not provide a rationale for the appeal.

The Trump Administration has moved to pause the vaccine policy lawsuit brought by leading medical organizations, while reverting the CDC’s website to prior immunization schedules, leaving federal vaccine guidance in a holding pattern; lawmakers from both parties pressed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccine policy during a series of congressional hearings last week, questioning him on shifting measles messaging and raising concerns about public health communication.