As the pharmacy organizations and associations representing the pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, pharmacy technicians, and student pharmacists who play a critical role in the nation’s vaccination infrastructure, we are concerned that the recently revised charter for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will jeopardize patient access to safe and effective vaccines.
A primary provider of vaccine-related services and information, we share the goal of making all Americans healthier. A safe, effective, and reliable vaccination program is critical to that goal and depends on maintaining a credible, independent, and scientifically grounded advisory committee framework that balances both risks and benefits based on evidence-based data. The revised charter places a disproportionate emphasis on vaccine risks and harms without adequately considering the scientifically proven benefits and disease prevention outcomes of safe and effective vaccination. In addition, the revised charter shifts ACIP membership away from requiring specific expertise in immunization science, infectious diseases, vaccinology, and vaccine service implementation, which risks weakening the scientific rigor that has historically defined ACIP deliberations.
Because of these concerns, we share the following 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. - Include pharmacists with expertise in vaccine research and practice when appointing
ACIP voting members and liaison non-voting members.
As the most accessible healthcare providers, pharmacists are essential to patient and public health, especially in in rural and underserved communities and in long-term care facilities. They administer vaccines, counsel patients, and educate the public. Pharmacists and pharmacy organizations, along with other vaccination providers, have long relied on ACIP’s recommendations as the gold standard for immunization guidance. When long-standing processes shift or appear unpredictable, even well-intentioned changes can create confusion and undermine confidence in how recommendations are developed, communicated, and implemented.
Changes to vaccine policies have had immediate impacts — notably reduced uptake due to diminished public understanding and trust, challenges in translating recommendations to clinical practice, disruption in payer coverage tied to ACIP recommendations, and barriers to access for vulnerable populations. Now, the recent revisions to the ACIP charter could further limit patient access to vaccines.
The pharmacy profession remains united in our steadfast commitment to providing our patients with safe, effective, and evidence-based vaccines. We urge you to reconsider the changes to the charter and take the steps we outlined above to ensure public trust in vaccine recommendations.
American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists
American Pharmacists Association
ASCP – Age Friendly Pharmacists and Pharmacies
Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association
National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
National Pharmaceutical Association