The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is an important component of our health care system that provides apolitical, expert, evidence-based advice and recommendations on the use of vaccines.  ACIP recommendations are also instrumental to ensuring access and first dollar coverage for much of the population. Members of the Adult Vaccine Access Coalition (AVAC) are concerned by the recent decision of the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary to abruptly dismiss all the voting ACIP members days after providing official notice for the upcoming June meeting. Transparency and public trust are of the upmost importance. Dismissing the entirety of the committee at once brings a destabilization to the system that is unnecessary and upends the thorough nomination and vetting process.    

Core qualities of the individuals who serve on the ACIP are their deep expertise in their respective fields and their commitment to the health of the American public. We hope recent actions do not setback the rigorous, evidence-based work of the ACIP to evaluate vaccines to protect the health of Americans and prevent disease across the life course.