BREAKING: ACIP charter rewritten — sweeping changes reshape vaccine advisory panel

ACIP’s new charter expands its remit and reshapes its membership — just as a court challenges who belongs on the panel.

Today, the federal government published an updated charter for its vaccine advisory panel — the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP.

The changes significantly expand its scope, reshape its membership, and reframe how vaccine decisions are made.

The document, signed off by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was posted on the CDC’s website. It replaces the previous charter with a version that goes well beyond routine renewal and is effective through April 1, 2028.

The move comes just weeks after a federal judge halted most of the committee’s membership, leaving ACIP effectively paralysed.

At first glance, the structure appears familiar. The Health Secretary still appoints members. The committee remains advisory, and its recommendations still flow through the CDC.

But beneath that surface, the changes are substantial — and far-reaching.