CDC Appoints Five New Members to Vaccine Advisory Committee Ahead of Key Meeting
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has appointed five new members to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, just days before a significant meeting on vaccines for COVID-19 and other diseases.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has appointed five new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). This announcement comes shortly before a scheduled meeting to discuss vaccines for COVID-19 and other diseases.
The new appointees are:
- Dr. Catherine Stein: Epidemiologist and professor at Case Western Reserve University.
- Dr. Evelyn Griffin: Obstetrician-gynecologist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- Dr. Hillary Blackburn: Director of medication access and affordability at AscensionRx.
- Dr. Kirk Milhoan: Pediatric cardiologist with For Hearts and Souls Free Medical Clinic in Hawaii.
- Dr. Raymond Pollak: Surgeon and transplant immunobiologist.
In June, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all 17 previous ACIP members, citing concerns over "persistent conflicts of interest." He has since been working to appoint new members to the committee, which is responsible for reviewing vaccine science and making recommendations to the CDC.
The upcoming ACIP meeting is set for Thursday and Friday, where the panel will discuss vaccines for COVID-19, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and respiratory syncytial virus. The newly appointed members are expected to participate in these discussions.
Former ACIP members have noted that the review process for new candidates, including conflict of interest assessments, typically takes two to three months before appointments are finalized.