DAY 1 – ACIP exposed a deep rift in vaccine policy
ACIP delayed its vote on the universal Hep B dose for babies yet again — but it was the friction inside the room that defined the day.
For weeks, tension had been building ahead of today’s meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
The media, professional associations and prominent commentators had warned that any change to the universal hepatitis B birth dose would be “dangerous,” “regressive,” or “anti-science.” From the outset, it was clear this meeting would not be routine.
The committee convened under new leadership.
Former chair Dr Martin Kulldorff had just been moved into a senior role at the Department of Health and Human Services.
His successor, Dr Kirk Milhoun, could attend only briefly and remotely before boarding a long-planned international flight. That left vice chair Dr Robert Malone to lead what was expected to be another contentious session.
In his opening remarks, Malone said the committee’s work must be guided by “evidence, transparency,” and a willingness to scrutinise assumptions rather than protect them.
“We’re not here to reach quick conclusions,” he said. “We’re here to reach accurate ones.”
What followed was a direct clash between two fundamentally different views of vaccine policy — one arguing that long-standing recommendations should remain untouched, and another insisting that policy must change when the evidence demands it.