ACIP thrown into turmoil as questions mount over what comes next

A claim that ACIP has been “disbanded” has sparked confusion — with officials dismissing speculation and offering no confirmed path forward.

A social media post by ACIP vice-chair Dr Robert Malone set off a firestorm of speculation today about the fate of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee.

“ACIP has been disbanded,” he wrote on X, adding that the government would not pursue a legal challenge and would instead move to recreate the committee.

The claim spread rapidly. But within hours, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has pushed back.

“Unless officially announced by us, any assertions about what we are doing next is baseless speculation,” said HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon.

There has been no official confirmation from HHS that ACIP has been dissolved — or that a legal challenge has been abandoned.

What has emerged instead is a system caught between competing signals, with no clear public direction.