Infectious Disease Regulatory Watch: April Highlights

This is our monthly column looking at federal regulatory topics, including recent decisions, personnel changes, and news related to the agencies and infectious disease.

This month, we focus on US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr rewriting the charter of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) as well as the CDC withholding vaccine data and preventing them from being published.

ACIP Charter Revisions

The CDC recently published a significantly revised ACIP charter. In effect, this action changes how the committee operates and provides greater power to the current administration.

In opposition to this, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) was one of more than 130 organizations that issued a statement opposing the charter change.

In part, the statement read, “The 130+ undersigned medical, nursing, public health, and patient advocacy groups express our deep concern about the revised charter for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) published on April 9. The new charter substantively changes the focus of the committee and its membership structure, which could undermine confidence in vaccines and ultimately affect access to immunizations.

“ACIP was established to provide evidence-based guidance on the use of immunizations to prevent diseases, but the revised charter paves the way for an unqualified committee to promote misleading narratives about vaccine safety. For decades, the committee held transparent discussions about vaccines based on patterns of disease, clinical trial and real-world data on efficacy and safety, and cost and implementation considerations. The new charter downplays the value of immunizations for both communities and individuals.”¹

Contagion spoke with Robert H. Hopkins Jr, MD, medical director of the NFID, who offered some commentary about what the charter changes would mean if the ACIP is completely overhauled.

Additionally, the ACIP charter changes have been part of ongoing legal wranglings between the federal government and professional medical organizations. For example, this past summer, in response to the ACIP’s actions, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians (ACP), and other professional medical organizations filed a lawsuit against Secretary Kennedy for “acting arbitrarily and capriciously when he unilaterally changed COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant people.”²

Contagion spoke with Jason M. Goldman, MD, MACP, immediate past president of the ACP, who offered insights on what the changing ACIP charter means and legal steps the college is taking to prevent the federal government’s attempt to reshape the group and vaccine policy in the US.

CDC Suppresses Vaccine Data

Last month, news reports surfaced that CDC Acting Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, canceled the publication of a study on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in the agency’s publication, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, back in March.³

The study results found that vaccination cut the likelihood of emergency visits due to COVID-19 by 50% and hospitalizations by 55%.⁴

Goldman discussed the federal government's attempts to suppress studies on vaccine data and how it continues the ongoing antivaccine ideology with further mis- and disinformation.

Despite the efforts to suppress the vaccine studies, Hopkins talked about the need to be transparent and publish the latest vaccine data and offered clinical insights about their safety and efficacy.

Check back next month for more news and commentary about federal government news and infectious disease.

References

1. More than 130 organizations express alarm over proposed changes to CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices charter. Press release. American College of Physicians. April 15, 2026. Accessed May 4, 2026. https://www.acponline.org/acp-newsroom/more-than-130-organizations-express-alarm-over-proposed-changes-to-cdcs-advisory-committee-on

2. Leading medical professional societies, patient sue HHS, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for unlawful, unilateral vaccine changes. Press release. Infectious Diseases Society of America. Updated July 7, 2025. Accessed May 4, 2026. https://www.idsociety.org/news--publications-new/articles/2025/leading-medical-professional-societies-patient-sue-hhs-robert-f.-kennedy-jr.--for-unlawful-unilateral-vaccine-changes

3. Sun LH. CDC won’t publish report showing COVID shots cut likelihood of hospital visits. Washington Post. April 22, 2026. Accessed April 22, 2026. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/04/22/covid-vaccine-report-blocked-cdc-mmwr/
4. Mandavilli A. The C.D.C. canceled the publication of a study showing the benefits of COVID vaccines. New York Times. April 22, 2026. Accessed April 22, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/04/22/us/trump-news-updates#section-640670104