PIDS Statement on ACIP Meeting’s Impact on Public Health

The Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society is deeply concerned by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices December meeting and its impact on public health in the United States.

The vote to change the recommendation on the birth dose of hepatitis B, absent new safety signals, data, or evidence, will increase the threat of avoidable acute and chronic liver disease. This irresponsible change, along with additional misleading presentations during the meeting, will have massive consequences for children and their long-term health.

The inclusion of presentations by individuals who have made a career out of anti-vaccine attacks, misrepresented research, and leadership that interrupts normal procedure have turned ACIP into a liability for the safety of children. Throughout the two-day meeting, committee members and presenters alike directed their comments to attending media in attempts to have anti-vaccine sentiment injected into coverage as reasonable discussion.

PIDS supports the American Academy of Pediatrics vaccine schedule. We will continue to advocate for strong science and discussion but will not support a biased group whose misleading of the public will result in children being harmed from vaccine preventable infections. We also call on the acting CDC director to reject the outcome of their actions.