PIDS Statement on ACIP, Vaccine Schedule Lawsuit Ruling

The Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS) applauds today’s momentous federal court finding in American Academy of Pediatrics et al. v. Kennedy et al. that the dismissal and reconstitution of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and anomalous changes made by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to the childhood immunization schedule were likely unlawful. It is our sincere hope that this decision is the first step toward a return to expert-driven immunization recommendations such as those published earlier this year by AAP, and formally endorsed by PIDS, and which had previously guided the work of ACIP.

While the administration is expected to appeal the ruling, today’s decision nonetheless represents an important victory for those of us who have dedicated our careers to the rigorous, evidence-based scientific evaluation of vaccine safety and efficacy, the protection of children from preventable infectious diseases, and the advancement of public health.