Newly Appointed Members to Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices

On June 11, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., HHS Secretary made a statement on X regarding the significant restructuring of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP). The 17 previous members were retired and eight new members were appointed. This move, according to the post, was aimed at restoring public trust in vaccines by ensuring that new recommendations are based on rigorous safety and efficacy data.

The post said, “The slate includes highly credentialed scientists, leading public-health experts, and some of America’s most accomplished physicians. All of these individuals are committed to evidence-based medicine, gold-standard science, and common sense. They have each committed to demanding definitive safety and efficacy data before making any new vaccine recommendations.”

The committee’s first meeting with the new members is scheduled for June 25.

Newly Appointed ACIP Members:

• Joseph R. Hibbeln, MD – Psychiatrist and neuroscientist; former NIH Acting Chief of Nutritional Neurosciences.
• Martin Kulldorff, MD, PhD – Biostatistician and epidemiologist; former Harvard Medical School professor.
• Retsef Levi, PhD – Professor at MIT Sloan; expert in healthcare analytics and vaccine safety.
• Robert W. Malone, MD – Physician-scientist; known for early mRNA vaccine research.
• Cody Meissner, MD – Pediatric infectious disease expert; professor at Geisel School of Medicine.
• James Pagano, MD – Emergency medicine physician with 40+ years of clinical experience.
• Vicky Pebsworth, OP, PhD, RN – Public health and nursing expert; Catholic Nurses Association regional director.
• Michael A. Ross, MD – OB-GYN clinical professor; advisor on HPV and cancer prevention initiatives.