It's difficult to overstate the threat that unscientific actions pose. I wrote about this week's ACIP meeting and my concerns about the discussions they had.

The chair of the #ACIP is a #COVID-contrarian, Martin Kulldorff, as are others on the committee (i.e., Robert Malone). COVID-contrarians also have hands on the lever of vaccine policy at #FDA (i.e., Vinay Prasad, Tracy Beth Hoeg), at #NIH (i.e., Jay Bhattacharya). 1/

Stated at ACIP: MMRV isn’t acceptable for kids <4 to prevent measles, mumps, rubella & varicella. ❌ False. MMRV/MMR vaccines are safe & highly effective. Studies show only a very small increase in febrile seizure risk after the 1st dose.

1/ On Thurs and Fri, ACIP—the external body that sets vaccine policy—will hold a special session. The MMRV vaccine will be discussed and we’re expecting a few falsehoods to start making the rounds about the vaccine and febrile seizures. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you should know👇

Read ASHE's conversation with SHEA's Executive Director Kristy Weinshel about the behind-the-scenes work at SHEA and leading by “The Golden Rule.” 🔗: bit.ly/3KgIZRS

As national medical, scientific, public health and patient organizations, we call for the resignation of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to ensure the health of the American people. Read our full statement: bit.ly/4g6kBOZ

9 CDC Directors going back to 1977 speak out. What RFK Jr has done to our nation’s public health system "should alarm every American." It "is unlike anything we have ever seen at the agency, and unlike anything our country has ever experienced." www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...

For us ID doctors, the CDC has been a rock. Data, guidelines, surveillance, travel advice -- all there, vetted by experts, referenced, reliable. Perfect? No. But watching its dismantling now breaks my heart. Some thoughts: blogs.jwatch.org/hiv-id-obser...

As the trump administration dials back surveillance for and prevention of infectious diseases guess what the biggest threat to our health systems is right now? That's right, infectious diseases.

SHEA is deeply disappointed by the sudden departure of the CDC Director so soon after her confirmation, at a time when the agency most needs stability and authority to carry out its vital mission of protecting the health and safety of all Americans. Our statement: bit.ly/3ULNQwF

What is happening at the CDC will translate into preventable deaths. This federal administration i needs to go.

“I am unable to serve in an environment that treats CDC as a tool to generate policies and materials that do not reflect scientific reality and are designed to hurt rather than to improve the public’s health.” That’s from the resignation of CDC’s Demetre Daskalakis @drdemetre.bsky.social (on X) 🧪

Bill Cassidy, you could stopped this months ago if you had a shred of integrity.

Don’t miss SHEA's ‘Raising the Bar: How to Advocate for Resources for Effective Infection Prevention & Control Teams’ series! Kick off the series with a deep dive into how interprofessional collaboration drives effective infection prevention & control. Register today: bit.ly/45S0hNB!

1/ Last night, RFK Jr. announced the cancellation of $500 million in mRNA vaccine research. This means 22 projects, many in active clinical trials, are just... stopped. RFK Jr. stated the #mRNA "poses more risks than benefits," but that claim is simply not backed by science. 🧵

SHEA Expresses Concern Over Removal from ACIP Workgroups and Reinforces Ongoing Public Health Commitment Read our full statement here: shea-online.org/shea-express...

Experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, have been kicked out of workgroups that help advise about national vaccine policy.

Hey @dukeroundup.bsky.social: great to see a familiar 🔵😈 smile over in Nashville!

🚨BREAKING: IDSA, along with AAP, APHA, ACP and others, has filed a lawsuit against HHS/Secretary Kennedy to stop unlawful changes to vaccine policy and defend public health. We refuse to stand by while America’s public health safeguards are torn apart. bit.ly/4lm7UkW

Reducing flu vaccines by eliminating thimerosal-containing ones may lower vaccination rates and increase hospitalizations and deaths. SHEA urges ACIP to rely on evidence when making decisions about safe, effective vaccines to help restore public trust. www.usatoday.com/story/news/h...

We will not stay silent on vaccines, say leaders of five major U.S. medical associations www.statnews.com/2025/06/26/v... via @statnews.com

I watched some of the ACIP meeting and followed on social media the comments and realized something positive: the anti-vax new members made reputations on criticizing the science on forums where there’s no ability to counter their incorrect understanding of the science/flat out incorrect statements.

Screenshots of the ACIP background materials on thimerosol Bottom line: “this review found no evidence of harm from the use of thimerosol as a vaccine preservative” 🧪📊💉 “Restore public trust” That’s what we are trying to do.

Hepatitis B can be passed from parent to baby at birth - and when that happens, the consequences can be deadly. It is unscientific and dangerous to intentionally ignore the success of U.S. vaccination programs or argue that the U.S. should not vaccinate babies for hepatitis B at birth.

This is a travesty & a nightmare. The US was a founder of @gavi.org. It lowers global vaccine costs, has vaccinated 1B children, & averted 19M deaths. This pull out will cost 100s of thousands of children's lives a year - and RFK Jr will be personally responsible. www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

Six former CDC vaccine advisory committee chairs warn: U.S. risks losing access to life-saving immunizations www.statnews.com/2025/06/20/a... via @statnews.com

Viewpoint: The sudden removal of all Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) members and changes to #COVID19 vaccine policy have critically weakened the US vaccine program. #MedSky https://ja.ma/43MpHvd

Well said by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

❌ "97% of ACIP members had conflicts of interest" ✅ Reality: Only 41% received any industry payments (mostly <$55k over 6 years) Reuters reviewed all 17 members. Most got <$80 total. Over the past decade, ~5% of ACIP votes involved a declared conflict. www.reuters.com/business/hea...

RFK Jr. spouted dangerous vaccine falsehoods on national TV. As a parent and infectious diseases doctor, I couldn't stay silent. Here's what the data actually shows. 🧵

❌ "Only Covid vaccine had placebo-controlled trials" ✅ Patently false Our dataset: 274 controlled vaccine trials, >3 million participants, 164 placebo-controlled trials Let’s go through each of the CDC scheduled routine vaccines: TL;DR – ALL of them have been placebo-controlled.

One Hundred Days, Incalculable Losses ✅ Just Accepted ⭐️ Editor's Choice

Be a real shame if folks couldn't access these in the event someone or some group decides to remove them: #vaccinessavelives

#IDSky This thread has lots of emerging background on the stunningly unqualified, conspiracy propagating, antivax group that Kennedy has named. He did not even make a tiny nod towards including anyone with expertise, unless you include Cody Meissner, whose recent activities you can read about below

Now that RFK Jr has destroyed ACIP at the US CDC, #NACI in Canada is the place to go for non grift vaccine recommendations.

A colleague, a friend and a brilliant scientist. The US lost a trusted vaccine expert to an anti-science purge at #ACIP Americans should be outraged.

Yes yes yes

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s dismissal of an independent panel of experts citing the goal of restoring trust in vaccines could undermine confidence in those available now, putting Americans at risk of preventable infectious diseases, public health experts and others said on Monday.

Secretary Kennedy’s allegations about the integrity of CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices are completely unfounded and will have a significant negative impact on Americans of all ages. Our statement: bit.ly/3SGaDcb

The anti-vaccine administration continues its assault to deprive families of legitimate scientific expertise & information about how to protect against infectious diseases.

Four members of the ACIP, which advises the CDC on vaccination policy, have had their status as special government employees terminated www.statnews.com/2025/06/08/c...

Great to see the hard work of our adult ambulatory IP team in print! www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

The proposed budget massively slashes funding to prevent measles, polio, HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, & parasitic infections. It's foolish to think global surges of these diseases will not affect the US (we already see them). There are >260 million malaria & 10 million new TB cases per year globally.

Now more than ever, we need to train the next generation of IP physicians! Check out the new SHEA IP curriculum for ID fellow training in infection prevention! Great way to start or strengthen IP fellow training at your ID program @ichejournal.bsky.social www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), in collaboration with IDSA, APIC, and PIDS, has developed a position paper highlighting the urgent need to strengthen Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programs across all healthcare facilities. More information: buff.ly/JRBxIl7

Co-sign