Hi Dr. Faust, thank you for all of your hard work! Is there any way that the old and reputable ACIP committee could form again so that we can have stability and safety back? I continue to write my Senators and Congress representatives. We have one (in Texas) who is brave enough to stand up but not our Senators. It feels very scary out here in the wild.
Senator Cassidy may be the greatest enabler in this story, or perhaps the most dangerously naïve. Either way, his actions helped open the door for RFK Jr.’s dismantling of evidence-based public health. Cassidy had the credentials and the platform to sound the alarm, but instead he lent credibility. If he truly believed RFK Jr.’s promises, that was a grave misjudgment. If he suspected they were false and voted anyway, then he was complicit. And now, when the consequences are clear, he remains silent. That silence speaks volumes.
Dr. Offit says here that getting Kennedy to step down is, at this point, left to the public/parents because no one else is stepping up. How can we do this? Is there any organization to support that is working to get this to happen?
Of all the awful policies of this administration and congress, this seems most urgent. Other policies can perhaps be changed with election of new leaders, but Mother Nature will not reverse course in 2026 or 2028 just because voters finally realize a mistake was made.
Given the addition of MMRV to the agenda and the current trajectory of measles becoming endemic again in the U.S., do you think it’s time to consider more widespread administration of an early 2nd dose for children aged 15-47 mos. (in the absence of high risk e.g. travel, local outbreaks, region with low vaccination rates)? These are incredibly scary and unpredictable times and nothing would surprise me under the current administration. Thank you Dr. Faust for always keeping us informed!
I"m so grateful for your communications, which have opened a door for me (a retired bilingual special education professional) to acquire some basic knowledge of the difference in content between high quality medical thought and...less than high quality medical "thought"! Thank goodness, for the last twenty-five years (after having a kidney removed), I didn't know anything about thimerosal; those potentially life-saving flu shots I had every year kept me teaching/evaluating part-time well into my seventies!!! Meanwhile, we must keep hope alive for the many children who will be at risk/vulnerable to of all kinds of illnesses if this campaign against years of research/practice. continues.
Hi Dr. Faust, thank you for all of your hard work! Is there any way that the old and reputable ACIP committee could form again so that we can have stability and safety back? I continue to write my Senators and Congress representatives. We have one (in Texas) who is brave enough to stand up but not our Senators. It feels very scary out here in the wild.
There are efforts to expand it and/or get the committee restored. Very unclear if it’ll be successful
CIDRAP has a vaccine integrity project https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-integrity-project
Senator Cassidy may be the greatest enabler in this story, or perhaps the most dangerously naïve. Either way, his actions helped open the door for RFK Jr.’s dismantling of evidence-based public health. Cassidy had the credentials and the platform to sound the alarm, but instead he lent credibility. If he truly believed RFK Jr.’s promises, that was a grave misjudgment. If he suspected they were false and voted anyway, then he was complicit. And now, when the consequences are clear, he remains silent. That silence speaks volumes.
Tell us who to call or write!
You can submit comments for ACIP, anonymous or identifiable https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2025-0024-0001
https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/CDC-2025-0024-0001
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-integrity-project
They are intending to release guidance and aid in purchasing vaccines for states
Dr. Offit says here that getting Kennedy to step down is, at this point, left to the public/parents because no one else is stepping up. How can we do this? Is there any organization to support that is working to get this to happen?
Of all the awful policies of this administration and congress, this seems most urgent. Other policies can perhaps be changed with election of new leaders, but Mother Nature will not reverse course in 2026 or 2028 just because voters finally realize a mistake was made.
Given the addition of MMRV to the agenda and the current trajectory of measles becoming endemic again in the U.S., do you think it’s time to consider more widespread administration of an early 2nd dose for children aged 15-47 mos. (in the absence of high risk e.g. travel, local outbreaks, region with low vaccination rates)? These are incredibly scary and unpredictable times and nothing would surprise me under the current administration. Thank you Dr. Faust for always keeping us informed!
Any way to reach out to Makary and Prasad, when they get back from lunch?
Published agenda includes Covid vaccines: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/downloads/agendas/draft-posted-2025-06-18.pdf
I"m so grateful for your communications, which have opened a door for me (a retired bilingual special education professional) to acquire some basic knowledge of the difference in content between high quality medical thought and...less than high quality medical "thought"! Thank goodness, for the last twenty-five years (after having a kidney removed), I didn't know anything about thimerosal; those potentially life-saving flu shots I had every year kept me teaching/evaluating part-time well into my seventies!!! Meanwhile, we must keep hope alive for the many children who will be at risk/vulnerable to of all kinds of illnesses if this campaign against years of research/practice. continues.