Initiatives Look to Strengthen Vaccine Policy and Governance in US

The Vaccine Integrity Project at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) and The Evidence Collective (TEC) have launched complementary efforts aimed at strengthening the future of US vaccine policymaking and restoring public confidence in immunization programs. The projects will evaluate both the scientific processes used to develop vaccine recommendations and the broader governance systems that influence how those recommendations are communicated and implemented.¹ The initiatives arrive during a period of significant upheaval in federal vaccine policy. Recent changes have included the dismissal and replacement of members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), legal challenges to federal vaccine policy actions, and questions about the future role of independent advisory committees in shaping national immunization recommendations.¹

The Vaccine Integrity Project will focus on the federal vaccine evaluation and recommendation process, examining options to strengthen scientific independence, conflict-of-interest protections, transparency, emergency response capabilities, and continuity across administrations. Through stakeholder engagement sessions and comparative analyses of advisory committee models, the project plans to release a public report outlining policy options and key questions in late 2026.¹

Meanwhile, The Evidence Collective’s Rebuilding Vaccine Governance project will explore the broader vaccine governance ecosystem through research, focus groups, surveys, and community listening sessions involving clinicians, scientists, policymakers, business leaders, parents, and members of the public. Findings from both initiatives are expected to help inform future health leaders seeking to improve vaccine uptake and public confidence.¹

"The questions facing vaccine recommendations today are larger than any single administration or any single committee," Michael Osterholm, PhD, director of CIDRAP and founder of the Vaccine Integrity Project, said in a statement. "More than 60 years after ACIP was established, this is an opportunity to assess how an independent scientific advisory process can best serve the country in an increasingly complex scientific, technological, and political environment."¹

Both organizations said their efforts are intended to generate actionable options for future US health agencies, emphasizing that durable vaccine policy depends on scientific rigor, transparency, public engagement, and institutions capable of maintaining credibility across political transitions.¹

Federal Vaccine Policy Background

Back in March, a US district court in Massachusetts blocked the federal government from implementing a series of vaccine-related policy decisions made over the past year by US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) leadership. By pausing those decisions, the court prevented the ACIP from holding scheduled meeting this past spring and this week.²

Back on June 12, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy announced on X that the agency was trying to move the lawsuit forward.³

“Today we filed a motion asking the First Circuit to expedite our appeal of the district court's order in the AAP lawsuit that left ACIP—the nation's vaccine advisory committee—without a quorum. AAP opposes our motion. I've been consistent from day one: I do not want to take vaccines away from anyone. Our policy changes preserved access and coverage. But the court's order has left ACIP unable to carry out its core responsibilities. As a result, the committee cannot issue new recommendations, review newly approved vaccines, or complete important work ahead of the fall flu season. A functioning ACIP is essential to ensuring that vaccine recommendations remain grounded in evidence and available to the families and providers who rely on them. Families, physicians, insurers, and public health programs deserve certainty—not paralysis. That's why we're asking for expedited review. Our appeal seeks to restore a functioning ACIP so the vaccine recommendation process can continue, and families, physicians, and public health programs have the guidance they need,” Kennedy wrote on X.³

As of June 26, no additional information or update has been provided on the case.

References

1.CIDRAP's Vaccine Integrity Project and The Evidence Collective Launch Complementary Initiatives to Strengthen Vaccine Policy and Governance in the United States. June 24, 2026. Accessed June 25, 2026.
https://vaxintegrity.cidrap.umn.edu/cidraps-vaccine-integrity-project-and-evidence-collective-launch-complementary-initiatives
2.Contagion Editorial Team. HHS Vaccine Recommendations Struck Down by Judicial Ruling. Contagion. March 16, 2026. Accessed June 25, 2026.
https://www.contagionlive.com/view/hhs-vaccine-recommendations-struck-down-by-judicial-ruling

3.X. June 12, 2026.Accessed June 25, 2026.
https://x.com/SecKennedy/status/2065559099203256367/photo/1