ASHP and Pharmacy Partners Call for Restoring Confidence in Vaccine Advisory Process Following ACIP Charter Revision

Today, ASHP and partnering pharmacy organizations expressed concerns about the recently released charter for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

The joint letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advocates for strengthening confidence in vaccine recommendations for the nation while emphasizing the critical role of the pharmacy workforce in providing vaccine-related services and protecting communities from vaccine-preventable diseases. The letter also expresses concern that the revised charter overemphasizes vaccine risks and reduces the focus on immunization science and vaccine expertise in ACIP membership.

The letter outlines the following key considerations:

• Preserve transparent, merit-based selection processes that prioritize scientific excellence, experience with vaccination processes, and independence from ideological and political influence when selecting voting members and liaison organizations.
• Engage directly with frontline vaccination providers and vaccine scientists, including pharmacists and pharmacy personnel, when considering structural changes to vaccine policy processes and advisory committee appointments.
• Prioritize selecting pharmacists for ACIP membership, including voting, liaison non-voting membership, and work groups, based on the individual pharmacist’s extensive experience in vaccinology or in providing immunizations to patients.
• Ensure ACIP conducts a prompt review and provides recommendations for vaccines following Food and Drug Administration approvals or label changes.
• Require that ACIP recommendations be published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
• Require a minimum number of ACIP meetings to be held per year, with additional meetings held at the discretion of the ACIP Designated Federal Officer.
• Require a clear and transparent recordkeeping process for all ACIP activities. 

Together, our organizations are committed to ensuring public confidence in and patient access to safe, effective, and evidence-based vaccines. 

To support evidence-based vaccine decision-making, ASHP offers complimentary access to monographs for all FDA-approved vaccines. Additional clinical resources and patient-friendly materials are available through ASHP’s Vaccine Resource Center.