It didn’t take long for the deleterious impact of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine policy to become apparent. Following his dismissal of all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the installation of seven new members, one of the reconstituted panel’s first acts was to challenge scientific consensus on an ingredient used in some flu shots.
ACIP, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and who should receive them, voted to ban the use of thimerosal, a preservative that contains small amounts of mercury. Whether intentionally or not, the decision, which contradicts the conclusion of numerous studies that thimerosal does not pose a serious health risk, will no doubt reinforce the anti-scientific bias of vaccine skeptics, eroding trust in what is arguably the most effective weapon for protecting public health.
As alarming as the vote itself is the fact that the group dispensed with long-established procedures. In the past, major decisions, especially those overturning existing policy, were preceded by thorough investigations undertaken by ACIP working groups, as well as input from outside experts. All that seems to have gone by the wayside under the new regime.
Kennedy’s revamping of ACIP and the panel’s subsequent moves have triggered a backlash among many health care stakeholders. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which long participated as a liaison member of ACIP, did not attend last month’s meeting. And the American Medical Association, together with dozens of other professional groups, is seeking reinstatement of the committee members fired by Kennedy.
“The AMA fully supports the overwhelming body of evidence and rigorous scientific process used by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices which demonstrate vaccines are among the most effective and safest interventions to both prevent individual illness and protect the health of the public,” said Dr. William Kobler, a family physician, in a separate statement summarizing the group’s thinking.
As noted in this space last month, pharmacists and the organizations that represent them need to lend their voice to the chorus demanding the reversal of recent changes at ACIP. In addition, until the status quo ante is restored, pharmacy operators should begin implementing patient education initiatives that remind people what they have to lose if they eschew immunizations.
