The CDC posted an updated charter for its vaccine advisory committee June 25. Here are five things to know:
1. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices provides recommendations to the CDC director on the use of vaccines and immunization program strategies to inform individuals, clinicians and broader public health efforts.
2. The updated charter loosens membership criteria. Earlier charters required members to have vaccine research-relevant expertise. The new version requires only that the panel as a whole represent a balanced range of scientific, clinical and public health expertise.
3. The charter directs the committee to evaluate alternatives to vaccines for disease prevention, a new responsibility not emphasized in prior versions, which focused primarily on maximizing vaccine coverage and effectiveness.
4. The HHS secretary holds authority to select and appoint all group members, including the chair and vice chair, a change formalized in April. Historically, appointments followed nominations from scientific and medical organizations.
5. The updated charter is the latest development in a yearlong restructuring of the panel. HHS removed all 17 members of ACIP in June 2025, sparking immediate criticism from national healthcare organizations that said the move would undermine vaccine confidence and threaten public health.
A federal judge ruled in March that the panel’s reformation was unlawful and reinstated prior childhood immunization guidance. The administration has appealed the ruling. The ACIP has not met this calendar year.
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