CDC's ACIP Shakeup: New Members, Hep B Delay, MMRV Changes & AMA Backlash

Update: 9/22/25

Since the June shakeup when RFK Jr. fired all 17 ACIP members, there have been several major recent updates in how vaccine policy is being reshaped within the United States. This is on top of a handful of other recent chaotic events at the CDC. Nurses should stay informed because these shifting policies directly shape how we protect patients, guide families, and maintain trust in vaccination practices.

Additional ACIP Members Appointed

On September 15, HHS and the CDC appointed five new voting members to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). These appointments bring the new ACIP membership up to 12 voting members:

1. Hillary Blackburn, PharmD, MBA: Pharmacist; healthcare consultant; podcast host.
2. Evelyn Griffin, MD: Physician; recent HHS appointee.
3. Joseph R. Hibbeln, MD, ABNP: Psychiatrist, neuroscientist; NIH background; studies in nutritional neurosciences. 
4. Martin Kulldorff, PhD: Biostatistician / epidemiologist; co-author of The Great Barrington Declaration about COVID-19 and lockdowns; previously involved in vaccine safety surveillance tools. 
5. Retsef Levi, PhD: Operations Management, MIT; health analytics, risk/safety modeling. 
6. Robert W. Malone, MD: Physician-scientist, biochemist; early researcher in mRNA delivery / vaccine technology. 
7. Cody Meissner, MD: Pediatric infectious disease; professor; prior ACIP & FDA advisory committee experience. 
8. Kirk Milhoan, MD, PhD: Pediatric cardiologist; medical director.
9. James V. Pagano, MD: Emergency medicine physician. 
10. Vicky (Debold) Pebsworth, PhD, RN: Nurse, policy analyst; NVIC board member. More information about her below.
11. Raymond Pollak, MD, FACS, FRCS: Vascular surgeon.
12. Catherine M. Stein, PhD: Professor of population/quantitative health sciences.

Some of the members have histories of questioning current vaccine mandates or broad vaccine-related policies, or being critical of certain vaccine technologies like mRNA.

Key ACIP Vote Outcomes (9/18-9/19)

• Hepatitis B Birth-Dose: The panel postponed any decision on changing the universal birth-dose recommendation, though they proposed delaying the vaccine by one month for infants born to mothers who test negative for hepatitis B. Panelists expressed concern that changing the recommendation could increase risk in infants without enough data to justify the change.
• MMRV Vaccine Guidance: ACIP voted that children under four should receive separate MMR and varicella shots instead of the combined MMRV vaccine (which combines measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella). Initially, the combined vaccine was kept in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, but in a reversal, the panel voted to remove VFC coverage for MMRV in this age group—aligning funding with the new recommendation.
• COVID-19 Vaccines: The panel voted against recommending COVID-19 vaccines for all Americans. Instead, guidance now emphasizes individual decision-making with medical providers, shifting away from universal recommendations. 

AMA & Other Medical Groups Speak Out

The American Medical Association (AMA) released two statements about the recent ACIP moves.

• Response to Recent ACIP Votes: The AMA says the ACIP’s new process and recommendations “leave parents confused about how to protect their kids” and restricts their ability to choose the combined MMRV vaccine for kids under 4.
• Exclusion of Medical Liaisons (Aug): The AMA, along with other physician groups, condemned being removed from ACIP workgroups, saying: “To remove our deep medical expertise from this vital and once transparent process is irresponsible, dangerous to our nation’s health, and will further undermine public and clinician trust in vaccines.”

Why It Matters for Nurses

• Counseling patients: When vaccine guidelines shift — especially for early childhood schedules like hepatitis B or combinations like MMRV — parents will ask why, and nurses will often be the ones explaining it. 
• Vaccine hesitancy and trust: Changes, delays, and debates can fuel vaccine hesitancy. Nurses’ voices are crucial in maintaining trust — by being up-to-date, transparent, and empathetic.
• Policy implementation: VFC program coverage changes, or shifts in universal recommendations, affect what vaccines can be administered, and which ones families might have to pay out-of-pocket.

Original Article: 6/12/25 - Meet Dr. Vicky Pebsworth, the Nurse on CDC’s Vaccine Panel

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made headlines earlier this week by firing all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Shortly thereafter, he appointed eight new members, including, a nurse: Dr. Vicky Pebsworth, RN, PhD. These moves have sparked debate across the healthcare community, both for the unprecedented overhaul and for the backgrounds of the new appointees.

Who Is Vicky Pebsworth, RN, PhD?

Dr. Vicky Pebsworth is a registered nurse and health policy expert with more than three decades of experience. She holds a PhD from the University of Michigan and has held roles as an ICU nurse, healthcare administrator, and research scientist. Pebsworth is a board member of the National Association of Catholic Nurses (NACN-USA) and the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC - formerly called “Dissatisfied Parents Together”), a group known for advocating vaccine safety and parental choice, and for raising concerns about vaccine risks. She has also served as a consumer representative on the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, where she has spoken about her son’s health issues following routine childhood immunizations.

Pebsworth’s selection is a source of controversy based on her leadership role at NVIC. Critics argue that her affiliation signals a shift toward greater skepticism about vaccines within the ACIP. Abram Wagner, PhD, MPH, a University of Michigan vaccine researcher, called her appointment “incredibly problematic” due to NVIC’s history of spreading vaccine misinformation.

Her appointment is particularly notable because the ACIP has historically been composed primarily of physicians, making the inclusion of a nurse a positive step for broader healthcare representation. However, Dr. Pebsworth is not the first nurse to serve on the committee; at least one previous ACIP roster, serving from August 2021 to September 2023, included a nurse among its members, Lynn Bahta, RN, MPH, CPH - an Immunization Program Clinical Consultant based out of the Minnesota Department of Health. This demonstrates an ongoing, though limited, recognition of the value nurses bring to high-level public health decision-making.

Image sources: HHS, NACN-USA

Controversy Over the Termination of All 17 ACIP Members

The mass dismissal of the previous ACIP members by Secretary Kennedy has drawn criticism from leading medical organizations and public health experts. The American Medical Association and others have called for a Senate investigation, warning that the abrupt change could undermine trust in vaccine policy and disrupt the committee’s work. Kennedy defended the move, saying it was necessary to restore public confidence and ensure the panel is free from conflicts of interest.

What’s Next for ACIP?

The newly appointed ACIP members are set to meet for the first time on June 25. With only eight members named so far—short of the quorum needed for official votes—the committee’s immediate future remains uncertain. The healthcare community will be watching closely to see how the panel’s new composition influences vaccine policy in the months ahead.

 

🤔 Nurses, what do you think about this appointment? Share your thoughts in the discussion forum below.