Quick-pick lottery ACIP replacement
COVID infections are very low-low with the NB.1.8.1 subvariant rapidly catching up to LP.8.1 at 37 to 39% of new infections, respectively (CDC). The surveillance of arriving air travelers shows 48% NB.1.8.1 and 9.5% LP.8.1, reflecting the surge abroad of the former that’s now creeping in.
Measles is now 77 cases shy of the 25-year high. There are 1197 confirmed cases for the year with 21 separate outbreaks and Arizona becoming the 34th state with measles (CDC). This May had more than twice the unvaccinated US residents bringing home the virus from abroad than last year.
Vaccines
• Quick-pick lottery ACIP? After firing all 17 vaccine advisors to CDC, Kennedy quickly announced his 8 replacements last week. It’s not clear if and how they were vetted for qualifications and conflicts of interest, a lengthy process normally conducted by the staff under ACIP’s administrator, Dr. Melinda Wharton – but she was let go also.
Even Cassidy, the physician-senator who got assurances from Kennedy to not mess with vaccine regulations, was concerned last week that “ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion.” (X) The AMA also expressed concern that there would not be sufficient vaccine expertise on the panel.
It certainly looks like a lot of the necessary expertise has been lost with the new bunch (Table 2 generated from report by CIDRAP and other sources.)
• Five of the 8 are physicians with one a psychiatrist and one retired. The other three are an RN, an epidemiologist, and a healthcare manager.
• Experience in vaccines and immunology is spotty at best. Two have none to minimally related (Pagano, Hibbein). For three, it’s unclear what’s their direct experience in the field, but they have opposed vaccines with false claims (Levi, Malone*, Ross). Two have experience advising on vaccines, but they have also opposed them (Kulldorff, Pebsworth).
It seems Meissner is the only member with notable vaccine credentials and has served on ACIP and FDA’s VRBPAC.
*The PubMed database of medical literature shows Robert Malone co-authoring studies in getting RNA into cells and using a drug for ulcers to treat COVID, and a review of blood clotting in women after vaccination with the Janssen shot.
• There are only 8 days before ACIP convenes for a 3-day meeting to evaluate the use of 10 vaccines, including COVID and flu for the fall (Federal Register). It turns out that any voting requires a quorum of more than half of the full chartered membership of 19, so they will need 10 advisors present and they are short 2 now (NPR).
© 2025 Henry A. Choy. All rights reserved.