CDC Advisory Committee Dispute

Former CDC director Susan Monares hasn’t reached out to the chairman of the Vaccine Advisory Committee, which is currently involved in a significant disagreement with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the Department of Health and Human Services, the chairman stated on Thursday.

The Advisory Committee on Vaccination Practices (ACIP), made up of external scientists, discusses scientific research and offers recommendations to the CDC regarding vaccination schedules for both children and adults. They are set to meet on Thursday and Friday. ACIP recommendations will outline which vaccinations will be covered by health plans.

During his opening comments at the Thursday meeting, ACIP Chair Martin Kulldorff remarked that it wasn’t a concern for him that Monares hadn’t contacted him prior to the heated discussions that led to her dismissal and the resignation of three high-ranking CDC officials. He stated, “A few weeks ago, the CDC Director was let go, and three leaders resigned, citing differing views on vaccines. While the committee is a key advisor for the CDC Director, she never reached out to me as ACIP chair regarding any issues. I wasn’t contacted by the CDC officials who later resigned either.”

Interestingly, the three CDC officials who stepped down also didn’t reach out to him with any concerns. Kulldorff noted that one of those officials, former CDC National Center for Vaccination and Respiratory Diseases Director Demetre Daskalakis, did contact ACIP to propose a meeting in June.

Kulldorff expressed that he collaborates effectively with other CDC staff members.

This information comes after Monares testified before a Senate committee on Wednesday, raising issues about ACIP and signaling a rift with her former superior. Kennedy criticized all 17 ACIP members on June 9, maintaining his long-standing concerns about the committee’s ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Monares mentioned that Kennedy’s recently appointed ACIP member is already considering alterations to the childhood vaccination schedule two days after taking office on August 2.

However, Monares hesitated when responding to some key questions during her brief tenure, particularly about her views on scientific evidence related to specific vaccines and the lawyers frequently associated with President Donald Trump’s adversaries.

Mark Zaid, an attorney connected to past whistleblower cases, did not comment on the matter. Another lawyer, Abbe David Lowell, has represented figures critical of Trump, including New York Attorney General Letitia James.

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed following her removal, Monares pointed to concerns about the ACIP’s new composition as the reason for her disputes with Kennedy but did not specify her worries regarding the new members.

“We’re in the midst of an intense debate on vaccines, and the pivotal question is: Who can we trust? If scientists differ, only those willing to publicly engage with varying perspectives should be able to weigh in on scientific reasoning. Without that dialogue, we can’t adequately evaluate their arguments,” she stated.

Kulldorff countered, suggesting that Monares lacks vaccine expertise. He also referenced criticism about the new ACIP members, labeling them as “unqualified individuals” holding “dangerous and unscientific views,” as co-authored by several former CDC directors.

“This committee does feature a range of vaccine expertise,” he asserted. “As a professor at Harvard Medical School, I developed an epidemiological model utilized in post-market vaccine research, including methods that the CDC employs regularly.”

A study by the Daily Caller News Foundation indicated that several officials recognized as “former CDC officials” are linked to particular benefits of the Make America Healthy Agenda.

In an interview outside the hearing room where Monares was testifying, former CDC principal Anne Schchat expressed concerns over the ACIP’s process under Kennedy but stopped short of naming specific individuals responsible.

“The entire process is fundamentally flawed. I’m not targeting any individual,” she remarked.