The FDA initially refused to review Moderna’s submission, due to antivaccine interference by agency leadership. The FDA later reversed course. Recent clinical trial results show superior effectiveness of Moderna’s vaccine (mRNA-1010/mFLUSIVA) compared to a standard-dose flu vaccine. If approved, this vaccine would become the first mRNA-based seasonal flu vaccine in the US.

View the docket here: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FDA-2026-N-4162

See the meeting page for additional meeting details and for oral comment registration: https://www.fda.gov/advisory-committees/advisory-committee-calendar/vaccines-and-related-biological-products-advisory-committee-june-18-2026-meeting-announcement

Below are some key talking points for your comment, and a sample comment is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

1. We need improved influenza vaccine options, especially for adults over age 50

2. Moderna’s mRNA vaccine platform allows the opportunity for more timely updates

3. FDA reviews must proceed on the basis of scientific expert input and without interference from people with antiscience or antivaccine views

You should also include brief comments about why influenza vaccination matters to you and your community.

Submit Your Comment

Docket: FDA-2026-N-4162

June 14, 2026

Public Comment for the FDA VRBPAC Meeting on June 18, 2026

To the FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

I am writing in strong support of enhanced and increased influenza vaccination options. Moderna’s mRNA vaccine platform has the added advantage of allowing more timely updates to match circulating strains and to tailor to emerging pathogens such as H5N1 avian influenza. Influenza vaccine effectiveness typically ranges from about 30-60% in the US [1, 2], leaving substantial room for improvement.

Approval of enhanced vaccine options must also be accompanied by effective vaccine campaigns. 2025-2026 influenza vaccination rates were only 46% in all adults, and 48% in adults age 65 and older [3].

FDA’s initial refusal to review Moderna’s influenza vaccine [4] appeared to be the result of antivaccine interference. Vaccine approvals must be based on scientific evidence along with expert review. These approvals must proceed without unnecessary delays.

References

1. CDC. CDC Seasonal Flu Vaccine Effectiveness Studies. Flu Vaccines Work. April 6, 2026. Accessed June 14, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/flu-vaccines-work/php/effectiveness-studies/index.html

2. Maloney P, Reeves EL, Wielgosz K, et al. Interim Estimates of 2025–26 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness — United States, September 2025–February 2026. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2026;75(9):116-123. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7509a2

3. CDC. Weekly Flu Vaccination Dashboard. FluVaxView. May 18, 2026. Accessed June 14, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/fluvaxview/dashboard/index.html

4. Lupkin S. FDA reverses course on Moderna flu shot. NPR. February 18, 2026. Accessed June 14, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2026/02/18/nx-s1-5718116/fda-moderna-mrna-flu-shot

Public comments to the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) are due by May 27, 2026, 11:59pm EDT.

Submit a written comment by May 27: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FDA-2026-N-3962-0001

View posted comments: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FDA-2026-N-3962-0001/comment

View the docket: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FDA-2026-N-3962-0001

The meeting will be held by online teleconferencing and livestreamed to YouTube on May 28, 2026, from 8:30am to 4:30pm Eastern time.

Below are key talking points for your comment, and a sample comment you can use is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy. Your comment does not have to be long or contain scientific details. Brief personal comments are highly impactful.

Talking Points

1. COVID vaccines must continue to be updated at least once a year to match circulating strains.

2. We need updated COVID vaccines for fall, ideally by July-August prior to the start of the K-12 school year.

3. COVID vaccines must be made available for people of all ages, 6 months and up, regardless of medical history.

4. The FDA and other federal agencies must allow publication of recently blocked studies on COVID and other vaccine safety and effectiveness.

Personalize your comment by including brief comments about why updated COVID vaccination matters to you or how COVID vaccine access impacts your community.

Submit Your Comment

Direct link to written comment submission by May 27: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FDA-2026-N-3962-0001

Sample Comment

Docket: FDA-2026-N-3962

May 25, 2026

Public Comment for the May 28, 2026, FDA VRBPAC Meeting

To the FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

I am writing to strongly support updated COVID vaccine formulations of all currently approved and authorized types (Pfizer’s and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines, and Novavax’s protein subunit vaccine) to better match circulating variants. Likewise, I urge you to reinstate universal COVID vaccine approval for people of all ages (6 months and older), at least once a year, for all COVID vaccine formulations.

COVID vaccination reduces the risk of Long COVID, severe acute disease, disability, and death for people of all ages, including previously healthy people [1-9]. Vaccination within the last year with formulations updated to match the latest circulating COVID strains is needed for the best protection. Universal vaccination at least twice a year would provide better protection than the current annual approach. More frequent vaccine updates beyond once a year should be considered when new strains with significant sequence differences are detected.

COVID vaccines have gone through many regular variant updates, and each update has been both safe and effective. For fall 2026, updates should be made available by July or August and prior to the start of the school year to provide the most benefit for children, families, and communities.

Last year’s implementation of unscientific vaccine restrictions has drastically reduced vaccine access for children, specifically children under 5 years old. Moderna’s Spikevax is now the only available vaccine for children under the age of 5. I strongly urge expanding age groups for FDA approval of currently available vaccines and strain updates. All requirements for underlying medical conditions should be removed from COVID vaccine indications.

Finally, this committee must call for an end to censorship of vaccine safety and effectiveness data. The CDC blocked publication of a study on 2025-2026 vaccine effectiveness updates [10, 11]. Likewise, recent manuscripts on COVID and shingles vaccines were blocked by the FDA [12]. These data must be made available to the public and the scientific community without delay.

Thank you for your consideration.

References

1. Link-Gelles R, Chickery S, Webber A, et al. Interim Estimates of 2024–2025 COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years — VISION and IVY Networks, September 2024–January 2025. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2025;74. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7406a1

2. Appaneal HJ, Lopes VV, Nguyen JL, Volkman HR, Zasowski EJ, Caffrey AR. Early effectiveness of the BNT162b2 LP.8.1 vaccine against COVID-19 emergency department, urgent care, and outpatient visits in the US Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. medRxiv. Preprint posted online January 23, 2026:2026.01.22.26344618. doi:10.64898/2026.01.22.26344618

3. Fang Z, Ahrnsbrak R, Rekito A. Evidence Mounts That About 7% of US Adults Have Had Long COVID. JAMA. Published online June 7, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.11370

4. Liu C, Liu C, Yan R, et al. Association of COVID vaccinations and treatments with long COVID beyond 6 months: a case-control study on the adult population in a large integrated healthcare system in the United States from 2020 to 2023. Prev Med Rep. 2025;57:103188. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103188

5. Thaweethai T, Gross RS, Pant DB, et al. Preventive effect of vaccination on long COVID in adolescents with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccine. 2025;68:127907. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127907

6. Le Marchand C, Singson JRC, Clark A, et al. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) cases by vaccination status in California. Vaccine. 2025;43:126499. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.126499

7. Link-Gelles R. Updates to COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness. Published online May 2025. Accessed September 2, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/media/186593/download

8. Wu N, Joyal-Desmarais K, Vieira AM, et al. COVID-19 boosters versus primary series: update to a living review. Lancet Respir Med. 2023;11(10):e87-e88. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00265-5

9. Menegale F, Manica M, Zardini A, et al. Evaluation of Waning of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine–Induced Immunity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(5):e2310650. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.10650

10. Wiegand RE, Chickery S, Yang DH, et al. Interim effectiveness of 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines in adults. Accessed April 29, 2026. https://insidemedicine.substack.com/api/v1/file/ab3d90bd-5bb8-4b2a-bf5e-0eccb93e0230.pdf

11. Faust J. Opinion | Here’s the COVID Vaccine Paper the CDC Censored. MedPageToday. April 29, 2026. Accessed May 4, 2026. https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/faustfiles/121016

12. Jewett C. F.D.A. Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe. The New York Times. May 5, 2026. Accessed May 5, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/us/politics/fda-covid-vaccine-studies.html

The WHO primarily recommends keeping last year’s variant target (LP.8.1). The LP.8.1 strain (targeted by the 2025-2026 Pfizer Comirnaty, Moderna Spikevax, and Moderna mNexspike vaccines in the US) is no longer circulating, and COVID strains have continued to diverge from this lineage. Novavax’s Nuvaxovid targets an even older strain JN.1, from the 2024-2025 formulation. Although current vaccine formulations have performed well, keeping outdated formulations is unlikely to provide good protection in the future as COVID variants are perpetually changing.

WHO’s alternate recommendation to target XFG or NB.8.1 (or other currently circulating variants) would be a better approach, similar to previous vaccine updates in the US. Continuing to make regular updates to the COVID vaccine formulations is the best strategy to maintain and improve vaccine protection.

Please join me in advocating for continued updates to COVID vaccines by making a public comment to the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) by May 27, 2026, 11:59pm EDT.

Comments received on or before the priority submission date of May 21, 2026, will be provided to the committee before the meeting. May 27 is the final due date.

Submit a written comment by May 27: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FDA-2026-N-3962-0001

View posted comments: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FDA-2026-N-3962-0001/comment

View the docket: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FDA-2026-N-3962-0001

The meeting will be held by online teleconferencing and livestreamed to YouTube on May 28, 2026, from 8:30am to 4:30pm Eastern time.

See the FDA’s meeting page for additional meeting details and for oral comment registration (due May 18 at 12pm noon EDT): https://www.fda.gov/advisory-committees/advisory-committee-calendar/vaccines-and-related-biological-products-advisory-committee-may-28-2026-meeting-announcement

Below are key talking points for your comment, and a sample comment you can use is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

Talking Points

1. COVID vaccines must continue to be updated at least once a year to match circulating strains.

2. We need updated COVID vaccines for fall, ideally by July-August prior to the start of the K-12 school year.

3. COVID vaccines must be made available for people of all ages, 6 months and up, regardless of medical history.

4. The FDA and other federal agencies must allow publication of recently blocked studies on COVID and other vaccine safety and effectiveness.

Personalize your comment by including brief comments about why updated COVID vaccination matters to you or how COVID vaccine access impacts your community.

Submit Your Comment

Direct link to written comment submission by May 27: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FDA-2026-N-3962-0001

Sample Comment

Docket: FDA-2026-N-3962

May 18, 2026

Public Comment for the May 28, 2026, FDA VRBPAC Meeting

To the FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

I am writing to strongly support updated COVID vaccine formulations of all currently approved and authorized types (Pfizer’s and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines, and Novavax’s protein subunit vaccine) to better match circulating variants. Likewise, I urge you to reinstate universal COVID vaccine approval for people of all ages (6 months and older), at least once a year, for all COVID vaccine formulations.

COVID vaccination reduces the risk of Long COVID, severe acute disease, disability, and death for people of all ages, including previously healthy people [1-9]. Vaccination within the last year with formulations updated to match the latest circulating COVID strains is needed for the best protection. Universal vaccination at least twice a year would provide better protection than the current annual approach. More frequent vaccine updates beyond once a year should be considered when new strains with significant sequence differences are detected.

COVID vaccines have gone through many regular variant updates, and each update has been both safe and effective. For fall 2026, updates should be made available by July or August and prior to the start of the school year to provide the most benefit for children, families, and communities.

Last year’s implementation of unscientific vaccine restrictions has drastically reduced vaccine access for children, specifically children under 5 years old. Moderna’s Spikevax is now the only available vaccine for children under the age of 5. I strongly urge expanding age groups for FDA approval of currently available vaccines and strain updates. All requirements for underlying medical conditions should be removed from COVID vaccine indications.

Finally, this committee must call for an end to censorship of vaccine safety and effectiveness data. The CDC blocked publication of a study on 2025-2026 vaccine effectiveness updates [10, 11]. Likewise, recent manuscripts on COVID and shingles vaccines were blocked by the FDA [12]. These data must be made available to the public and the scientific community without delay.

Thank you for your consideration.

References

1. Link-Gelles R, Chickery S, Webber A, et al. Interim Estimates of 2024–2025 COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years — VISION and IVY Networks, September 2024–January 2025. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2025;74. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7406a1

2. Appaneal HJ, Lopes VV, Nguyen JL, Volkman HR, Zasowski EJ, Caffrey AR. Early effectiveness of the BNT162b2 LP.8.1 vaccine against COVID-19 emergency department, urgent care, and outpatient visits in the US Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. medRxiv. Preprint posted online January 23, 2026:2026.01.22.26344618. doi:10.64898/2026.01.22.26344618

3. Fang Z, Ahrnsbrak R, Rekito A. Evidence Mounts That About 7% of US Adults Have Had Long COVID. JAMA. Published online June 7, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.11370

4. Liu C, Liu C, Yan R, et al. Association of COVID vaccinations and treatments with long COVID beyond 6 months: a case-control study on the adult population in a large integrated healthcare system in the United States from 2020 to 2023. Prev Med Rep. 2025;57:103188. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103188

5. Thaweethai T, Gross RS, Pant DB, et al. Preventive effect of vaccination on long COVID in adolescents with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccine. 2025;68:127907. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127907

6. Le Marchand C, Singson JRC, Clark A, et al. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) cases by vaccination status in California. Vaccine. 2025;43:126499. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.126499

7. Link-Gelles R. Updates to COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness. Published online May 2025. Accessed September 2, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/media/186593/download

8. Wu N, Joyal-Desmarais K, Vieira AM, et al. COVID-19 boosters versus primary series: update to a living review. Lancet Respir Med. 2023;11(10):e87-e88. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00265-5

9. Menegale F, Manica M, Zardini A, et al. Evaluation of Waning of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine–Induced Immunity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(5):e2310650. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.10650

10. Wiegand RE, Chickery S, Yang DH, et al. Interim effectiveness of 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines in adults. Accessed April 29, 2026. https://insidemedicine.substack.com/api/v1/file/ab3d90bd-5bb8-4b2a-bf5e-0eccb93e0230.pdf

11. Faust J. Opinion | Here’s the COVID Vaccine Paper the CDC Censored. MedPageToday. April 29, 2026. Accessed May 4, 2026. https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/faustfiles/121016

12. Jewett C. F.D.A. Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe. The New York Times. May 5, 2026. Accessed May 5, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/us/politics/fda-covid-vaccine-studies.html

Comments received on or before the priority submission date of May 21, 2026, will be provided to the committee before the meeting. May 27 is the final due date.

Submit a written comment by May 27: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FDA-2026-N-3962-0001

View posted comments: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FDA-2026-N-3962-0001/comment

View the docket: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FDA-2026-N-3962-0001

The meeting will be held by online teleconferencing and livestreamed to YouTube on May 28, 2026, from 8:30am to 4:30pm Eastern time.

See the FDA’s meeting page for additional meeting details and for oral comment registration (due May 18 at 12pm noon EDT): https://www.fda.gov/advisory-committees/advisory-committee-calendar/vaccines-and-related-biological-products-advisory-committee-may-28-2026-meeting-announcement

Below are key talking points for your comment, and a sample comment you can use is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

Talking Points

1. COVID vaccines must continue to be updated at least once a year to match circulating strains.

2. We need updated COVID vaccines for fall, ideally by July-August prior to the start of the K-12 school year.

3. COVID vaccines must be made available for people of all ages, 6 months and up, regardless of medical history.

4. The FDA and other federal agencies must allow publication of recently blocked studies on COVID and other vaccine safety and effectiveness.

Personalize your comment by including brief comments about why updated COVID vaccination matters to you or how COVID vaccine access impacts your community.

Submit Your Comment

Direct link to written comment submission by May 27: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FDA-2026-N-3962-0001

Sample Comment

Docket: FDA-2026-N-3962

May 8, 2026

Public Comment for the May 28, 2026, FDA VRBPAC Meeting

To the FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

I am writing to strongly support updated COVID vaccine formulations of all currently approved and authorized types (Pfizer’s and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines, and Novavax’s protein subunit vaccine) to better match circulating strains. Likewise, I urge you to reinstate universal COVID vaccine approval for people of all ages (6 months and older), at least once a year, for all COVID vaccine formulations.

COVID vaccination reduces the risk of Long COVID, severe acute disease, disability, and death for people of all ages, including previously healthy people [1-9]. Vaccination within the last year with formulations updated to match the latest circulating COVID strains is needed for the best protection. Universal vaccination at least twice a year would provide better protection than the current annual approach. More frequent vaccine updates beyond once a year should be considered when new strains with significant sequence differences are detected.

COVID vaccines have gone through many regular strain updates, and each update has been both safe and effective. For fall 2026, updates should be made available by July or August and prior to the start of the school year to provide the most benefit for children, families, and communities.

Last year’s implementation of unscientific vaccine restrictions has drastically reduced vaccine access for children, specifically children under 5 years old. Moderna’s Spikevax is now the only available vaccine for children under the age of 5. I strongly urge expanding age groups for FDA approval of currently available vaccines and strain updates. All requirements for underlying medical conditions should be removed from COVID vaccine indications.

Finally, this committee must call for an end to censorship of vaccine safety and effectiveness data. The CDC blocked publication of a study on 2025-2026 vaccine effectiveness updates [10, 11]. Likewise, recent manuscripts on COVID and shingles vaccines were blocked by the FDA [12].

Thank you for your consideration.

References

1. Link-Gelles R, Chickery S, Webber A, et al. Interim Estimates of 2024–2025 COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years — VISION and IVY Networks, September 2024–January 2025. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2025;74. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7406a1

2. Appaneal HJ, Lopes VV, Nguyen JL, Volkman HR, Zasowski EJ, Caffrey AR. Early effectiveness of the BNT162b2 LP.8.1 vaccine against COVID-19 emergency department, urgent care, and outpatient visits in the US Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. medRxiv. Preprint posted online January 23, 2026:2026.01.22.26344618. doi:10.64898/2026.01.22.26344618

3. Fang Z, Ahrnsbrak R, Rekito A. Evidence Mounts That About 7% of US Adults Have Had Long COVID. JAMA. Published online June 7, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.11370

4. Liu C, Liu C, Yan R, et al. Association of COVID vaccinations and treatments with long COVID beyond 6 months: a case-control study on the adult population in a large integrated healthcare system in the United States from 2020 to 2023. Prev Med Rep. 2025;57:103188. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103188

5. Thaweethai T, Gross RS, Pant DB, et al. Preventive effect of vaccination on long COVID in adolescents with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccine. 2025;68:127907. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127907

6. Le Marchand C, Singson JRC, Clark A, et al. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) cases by vaccination status in California. Vaccine. 2025;43:126499. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.126499

7. Link-Gelles R. Updates to COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness. Published online May 2025. Accessed September 2, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/media/186593/download

8. Wu N, Joyal-Desmarais K, Vieira AM, et al. COVID-19 boosters versus primary series: update to a living review. Lancet Respir Med. 2023;11(10):e87-e88. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00265-5

9. Menegale F, Manica M, Zardini A, et al. Evaluation of Waning of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine–Induced Immunity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(5):e2310650. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.10650

10. Wiegand RE, Chickery S, Yang DH, et al. Interim effectiveness of 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccines in adults. Accessed April 29, 2026. https://insidemedicine.substack.com/api/v1/file/ab3d90bd-5bb8-4b2a-bf5e-0eccb93e0230.pdf

11. Faust J. Opinion | Here’s the COVID Vaccine Paper the CDC Censored. MedPageToday. April 29, 2026. Accessed May 4, 2026. https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/faustfiles/121016

12. Jewett C. F.D.A. Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe. The New York Times. May 5, 2026. Accessed May 5, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/05/us/politics/fda-covid-vaccine-studies.html

To date, over 1,000 comments have been submitted, and the available comments are mixed, with many pro-vaccine comments but also numerous anti-vaccine comments. Thank you to all who have submitted pro-vaccine comments in support of universal vaccination policies! There is still time to make your voice heard and go on record in support of COVID vaccines.

Public comment for the March 18-19 CDC ACIP meeting closes Thursday, March 12 at 11:59pm EDT. You can register to make an oral comment via video conferencing at the meeting, or submit a written comment.

View the docket here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2026-0199-0001

See the CDC’s ACIP meeting page for additional meeting details: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/index.html

Below are some key talking points for your comment, and a sample comment with references is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

1. We need universal access to the updated COVID vaccines for people of all ages, and regardless of medical conditions, at least once a year.

2. COVID vaccines reduce the risk of Long COVID and severe disease for people of all ages.

3. Vaccine recommendation frameworks must include strong ethical foundations and must make advances in disease prevention available to all.

You should also include brief comments about why vaccination matters to you personally, such as how vaccination for COVID and a broad range of infectious diseases has positively impacted you and your community. Optionally, at the beginning of your comment, you may also include whether or not you have any financial conflicts of interest relevant to the topic.

Don’t worry about making your comment perfect or polished–your perspective matters, and this committee needs to hear how their attacks on vaccine access are impacting all of us.

Submit Your Comment

Sample Comment and References

Docket: CDC-2026-0199

March 2, 2026

Public Comment for the March 18-19, 2026, CDC ACIP Meeting

To the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

You must reinstate unhindered universal COVID vaccine recommendations for people of all ages, at least once a year, for all COVID vaccine formulations. COVID vaccination reduces the risk of Long COVID, severe acute disease, disability, and death for people of all ages [1-9]. Vaccination within the last year with formulations updated to match the latest circulating COVID strains is needed for the best protection.

Vaccine recommendation frameworks must include strong ethical foundations and must make advances in disease prevention available to all. Denying access to safe and effective vaccines and treatments under the guise of research is a practice that has been recognized as unethical and unacceptable for decades. Thankfully, officials in Guinea-Bissau have stopped a harmful CDC-funded trial that would have denied access to the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine for thousands of babies [10].

This committee must recommend all safe and effective vaccines to ensure broad access at pharmacies, insurance coverage, and coverage for uninsured children through the Vaccines for Children program. Hepatitis B, HPV, MMR, MMRV, RSV, and other vaccines are essential to prevent unnecessary infections, harmful consequences of infections, and deaths of both children and adults. Vaccine access should not depend on what state you live in, and no one should die because of a lack of access to affordable vaccines.

References

1. Link-Gelles R, Chickery S, Webber A, et al. Interim Estimates of 2024–2025 COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years — VISION and IVY Networks, September 2024–January 2025. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2025;74. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7406a1

2. Appaneal HJ, Lopes VV, Nguyen JL, Volkman HR, Zasowski EJ, Caffrey AR. Early effectiveness of the BNT162b2 LP.8.1 vaccine against COVID-19 emergency department, urgent care, and outpatient visits in the US Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. medRxiv. Preprint posted online January 23, 2026:2026.01.22.26344618. doi:10.64898/2026.01.22.26344618

3. Fang Z, Ahrnsbrak R, Rekito A. Evidence Mounts That About 7% of US Adults Have Had Long COVID. JAMA. Published online June 7, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.11370

4. Liu C, Liu C, Yan R, et al. Association of COVID vaccinations and treatments with long COVID beyond 6 months: a case-control study on the adult population in a large integrated healthcare system in the United States from 2020 to 2023. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2025;57:103188. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103188

5. Thaweethai T, Gross RS, Pant DB, et al. Preventive effect of vaccination on long COVID in adolescents with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccine. 2025;68:127907. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127907

6. Le Marchand C, Singson JRC, Clark A, et al. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) cases by vaccination status in California. Vaccine. 2025;43:126499. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.126499

7. Link-Gelles R. Updates to COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness. Published online May 2025. Accessed September 2, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/media/186593/download

8. Wu N, Joyal-Desmarais K, Vieira AM, et al. COVID-19 boosters versus primary series: update to a living review. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. 2023;11(10):e87-e88. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00265-5

9. Menegale F, Manica M, Zardini A, et al. Evaluation of Waning of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine–Induced Immunity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(5):e2310650. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.10650

10. Dall C. Guinea-Bissau officials stop CDC-funded hepatitis B vaccine trial | CIDRAP. February 24, 2026. Accessed March 1, 2026. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/hepatitis/guinea-bissau-officials-stop-cdc-funded-hepatitis-b-vaccine-trial

More Ways to Take Action

• After you’ve submitted your comments to the CDC, write or call your members of congress to let them know that you support vaccinations for all, including COVID vaccines, and that public health institutions should promote strong vaccination policies. Here’s a sample letter you can use.

• Get up-to-date on COVID vaccines as well as other recommended vaccines, and encourage others to do so. For Wisconsinites, you can check your vaccination records at the Wisconsin Immunization Registry, and many other states also have online registries.

  • Adults aged 65 and older and people who are immunocompromised are eligible for a second (spring/summer) shot of the 2025-2026 COVID vaccine, if they have not had a COVID vaccine in the last two months. Immunocompromised people may receive additional doses (beyond two) in consultation with their healthcare provider.

  • Adults and children who have not had a 2025-2026 COVID vaccine may be eligible depending on risk factors and which state they live in. Some states have expanded vaccine access beyond the current CDC recommendations to include universal COVID vaccine access. In states where access has not been expanded, attestation to risk factors or additional documentation may be needed to receive vaccines and/or for insurance reimbursement.

Public comment for the March 18-19 CDC ACIP meeting is open today, March 2, and closes March 12. You can register to make an oral comment via video conferencing at the meeting, or submit a written comment.

View the docket here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2026-0199-0001

See the CDC’s ACIP meeting page for additional meeting details: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/index.html

Below are some key talking points for your comment, and a sample comment with references is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

1. We need universal access to the updated COVID vaccines for people of all ages, and regardless of medical conditions, at least once a year.

2. COVID vaccines reduce the risk of Long COVID and severe disease for people of all ages.

3. Vaccine recommendation frameworks must include strong ethical foundations and must make advances in disease prevention available to all.

You should also include brief comments about why vaccination matters to you personally, such as how vaccination for COVID and a broad range of infectious diseases has positively impacted you and your community. Optionally, at the beginning of your comment, you may also include whether or not you have any financial conflicts of interest relevant to the topic.

Don’t worry about making your comment perfect or polished–your perspective matters, and this committee needs to hear how their attacks on vaccine access are impacting all of us.

Submit Your Comment

Sample Comment and References

Docket: CDC-2026-0199

March 2, 2026

Public Comment for the March 18-19, 2026, CDC ACIP Meeting

To the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

You must reinstate unhindered universal COVID vaccine recommendations for people of all ages, at least once a year, for all COVID vaccine formulations. COVID vaccination reduces the risk of Long COVID, severe acute disease, disability, and death for people of all ages [1-9]. Vaccination within the last year with formulations updated to match the latest circulating COVID strains is needed for the best protection.

Vaccine recommendation frameworks must include strong ethical foundations and must make advances in disease prevention available to all. Denying access to safe and effective vaccines and treatments under the guise of research is a practice that has been recognized as unethical and unacceptable for decades. Thankfully, officials in Guinea-Bissau have stopped a harmful CDC-funded trial that would have denied access to the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine for thousands of babies [10].

This committee must recommend all safe and effective vaccines to ensure broad access at pharmacies, insurance coverage, and coverage for uninsured children through the Vaccines for Children program. Hepatitis B, HPV, MMR, MMRV, RSV, and other vaccines are essential to prevent unnecessary infections, harmful consequences of infections, and deaths of both children and adults. Vaccine access should not depend on what state you live in, and no one should die because of a lack of access to affordable vaccines.

References

1. Link-Gelles R, Chickery S, Webber A, et al. Interim Estimates of 2024–2025 COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years — VISION and IVY Networks, September 2024–January 2025. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2025;74. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7406a1

2. Appaneal HJ, Lopes VV, Nguyen JL, Volkman HR, Zasowski EJ, Caffrey AR. Early effectiveness of the BNT162b2 LP.8.1 vaccine against COVID-19 emergency department, urgent care, and outpatient visits in the US Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. medRxiv. Preprint posted online January 23, 2026:2026.01.22.26344618. doi:10.64898/2026.01.22.26344618

3. Fang Z, Ahrnsbrak R, Rekito A. Evidence Mounts That About 7% of US Adults Have Had Long COVID. JAMA. Published online June 7, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.11370

4. Liu C, Liu C, Yan R, et al. Association of COVID vaccinations and treatments with long COVID beyond 6 months: a case-control study on the adult population in a large integrated healthcare system in the United States from 2020 to 2023. Preventive Medicine Reports. 2025;57:103188. doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103188

5. Thaweethai T, Gross RS, Pant DB, et al. Preventive effect of vaccination on long COVID in adolescents with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccine. 2025;68:127907. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127907

6. Le Marchand C, Singson JRC, Clark A, et al. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) cases by vaccination status in California. Vaccine. 2025;43:126499. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.126499

7. Link-Gelles R. Updates to COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness. Published online May 2025. Accessed September 2, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/media/186593/download

8. Wu N, Joyal-Desmarais K, Vieira AM, et al. COVID-19 boosters versus primary series: update to a living review. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. 2023;11(10):e87-e88. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00265-5

9. Menegale F, Manica M, Zardini A, et al. Evaluation of Waning of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine–Induced Immunity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(5):e2310650. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.10650

10. Dall C. Guinea-Bissau officials stop CDC-funded hepatitis B vaccine trial | CIDRAP. February 24, 2026. Accessed March 1, 2026. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/hepatitis/guinea-bissau-officials-stop-cdc-funded-hepatitis-b-vaccine-trial

Last week, the CDC updated its website to promote misinformation, making false claims about a link between vaccines and autism. Vaccines have been the most well studied non-genetic risk factor for autism, and, time and time again, the research has shown no link between vaccines and autism. Autistic people deserve better than to be further stigmatized by misinformation from our own public health authorities.

Written comment submission and oral comment registration are due today November 24 at 11:59 EST for the upcoming meeting on December 4 and 5. We need written comments and oral comments from both experts and everyday people, including your personal stories. Comments do not need to be comprehensive—brief pro-vaccine comments are appreciated.

December 4 and 5 CDC ACIP Meeting Information: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/index.html

Draft Agenda: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/downloads/agendas/draft-posted-2025-11-14-508.pdf

Docket: https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2025-0783-0001

Submit a written comment: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/CDC-2025-0783-0001

Register to make an oral comment at the 12/4-12/5 meeting (via online teleconferencing): https://www2.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/acip_publiccomment.asp

For oral comment registration, all fields are required. If you are not affiliated with an organization, you can write “Self” or “Not Affiliated” in the organization field. Choose either date—per the draft agenda, votes on the Hepatitis B vaccine will occur on Friday, December 5. If you are selected for oral comment, you should receive an email by December 1, which usually requires a response to confirm your spot. Oral comments are typically 3 minutes long, and most people find it helpful to read from a written statement.

Written comment submission and oral comment registration are both due by November 24 at 11:59 EST.

Submit Your Comment

Talking Points

Below are some key talking points for your comment, and a sample comment is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

• CDC ACIP expert advisors must support widespread and unhindered access to all vaccines currently on the child and adolescent vaccine schedules.

• Currently available FDA-approved vaccines are safe and effective.

• Vaccine access should not depend on what state you live in. CDC ACIP vaccine recommendations are needed for access to vaccines and insurance coverage, nationally.

• The birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine reduces the risk of perinatal hepatitis B transmission. Hepatitis B infection can lead to chronic infection, cirrhosis, and liver cancer later in life.

• Coadministration of vaccines and combined vaccines are important for convenient and timely vaccination. This committee should reinstate the MMRV vaccine recommendation for children under the age of 4.

Your personal stories about why vaccination matters to you are very impactful. You might include how childhood vaccination has positively impacted you and your community or how barriers to vaccination or insurance coverage have impacted you, your child, or other loved ones.

Optionally, at the beginning of your comment, you may include whether or not you have any financial conflicts of interest relevant to the topic.

Sample Comment

Docket: CDC-2025-0783

November 18, 2025

Public Comment for the December 4-5, 2025 CDC ACIP Committee Meeting

To the CDC ACIP committee:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

CDC ACIP expert advisors must support widespread and unhindered access to a wide range of safe and effective vaccines, including all vaccines currently on the child and adolescent vaccine schedules. This federal committee must not be used as a platform for misinformation or to sow public distrust in vaccines.

All of our currently available FDA-approved vaccines are safe and effective. Children, adults, and pregnant people all rely on CDC ACIP vaccine recommendations for access to vaccines and insurance coverage. The Vaccines for Children program has saved over 1 million lives via prevention of 18 infectious diseases [1]. Access to safe and effective vaccines should not depend on what state you live in. COVID vaccine access varies widely from state-to-state due to the recent actions of this committee [2]. This committee must not be allowed to take similar action against childhood vaccines. We need broad access to safe and effective vaccines nationally.

The birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine (ideally within 12 hours of birth) reduces the risk of perinatal hepatitis B transmission [3]. With widespread implementation of the hepatitis B birth dose in 1991, the US has seen a 99% reduction in child and teen hepatitis B infections [4]. Hepatitis B infection can lead to chronic infection, cirrhosis, and liver cancer later in life [5]. We cannot afford to lose ground on preventing hepatitis B infections.

Coadministration of many vaccines on the childhood and adolescent schedule has been shown to be safe and effective, and unscientific barriers to coadministration or combined vaccines must not be entertained by this committee. Coadministration and combined vaccine options are important for timely access to vaccines and to avoid harmful delays in vaccination. This committee should reverse course and restore the recommendation for the MMRV vaccine under age 4, including restoring Vaccines for Children access [6].

I urge the members of this committee to take action to protect and expand childhood and adolescent vaccination programs, maintain Hepatitis B vaccination including the birth dose, and enact strong vaccine campaigns.

References

1. CDC. About the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program. Vaccines for Children Program. November 17, 2025. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-for-children/about/index.html

2. Kates J, Bell C, Michaud J, Williams E, Tolbert J. Tracking State Actions on Vaccine Policy and Access. KFF. September 24, 2025. Accessed October 8, 2025. https://www.kff.org/covid-19/tracking-state-actions-on-vaccine-policy-and-access/

3. Immunization Action Coalition. Hepatitis B: What Hospitals Need to Do to Protect Newborns. Published online July 2013. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://www.immunize.org/wp-content/uploads/vaccines/a-z/hepb/end-hepb/birth-dose.pdf

4. Hepatitis B Foundation. Hepatitis B Vaccine Talking Points. September 15, 2025. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://www.hepb.org/assets/Uploads/HBV-Birth-Dose-Talking-Points-9.16.25.pdf

5. Tripathi N, Mousa OY. Hepatitis B. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2025. Accessed November 18, 2025. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555945/

6. Jenco M. AAP breaks from federal vaccine panel, continues to recommend MMRV vaccine for children under 4. Published online September 19, 2025. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/33401/AAP-breaks-from-federal-vaccine-panel-continues-to

Next steps

• After you’ve submitted your comments to the CDC, I would recommend also writing or calling your members of congress to let them know that you support childhood vaccinations, including the hepatitis B birth dose.

• Share the information in this post with friends, loved ones, and anyone who may be interested.

Subscribe now

Written comment submission and oral comment registration are due by November 24 at 11:59 EST for the upcoming meeting on December 4 and 5. We need written comments and oral comments from both experts and everyday people, including your personal stories.

December 4 and 5 CDC ACIP Meeting Information: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/index.html

Draft Agenda: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/downloads/agendas/draft-posted-2025-11-14-508.pdf

Docket: https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2025-0783-0001

Submit a written comment: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/CDC-2025-0783-0001

Register to make an oral comment at the 12/4-12/5 meeting (via online teleconferencing): https://www2.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/acip_publiccomment.asp

For oral comment registration, all fields are required. If you are not affiliated with an organization, you can write “Self” or “Not Affiliated” in the organization field. Choose either date—per the draft agenda, votes on the Hepatitis B vaccine will occur on Friday, December 5. If you are selected for oral comment, you should receive an email by December 1, which usually requires a response to confirm your spot. Oral comments are typically 3 minutes long, and most people find it helpful to read from a written statement.

Written comment submission and oral comment registration are both due by November 24 at 11:59 EST.

Submit Your Comment

Talking Points

Below are some key talking points for your comment, and a sample comment is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

• CDC ACIP expert advisors must support widespread and unhindered access to all vaccines currently on the child and adolescent vaccine schedules.

• Currently available FDA-approved vaccines are safe and effective.

• Vaccine access should not depend on what state you live in. CDC ACIP vaccine recommendations are needed for access to vaccines and insurance coverage, nationally.

• The birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine reduces the risk of perinatal hepatitis B transmission. Hepatitis B infection can lead to chronic infection, cirrhosis, and liver cancer later in life.

• Coadministration of vaccines and combined vaccines are important for convenient and timely vaccination. This committee should reinstate the MMRV vaccine recommendation for children under the age of 4.

Your personal stories about why vaccination matters to you are very impactful. You might include how childhood vaccination has positively impacted you and your community or how barriers to vaccination or insurance coverage have impacted you, your child, or other loved ones.

Optionally, at the beginning of your comment, you may include whether or not you have any financial conflicts of interest relevant to the topic.

Sample Comment

Docket: CDC-2025-0783

November 18, 2025

Public Comment for the December 4-5, 2025 CDC ACIP Committee Meeting

To the CDC ACIP committee:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

CDC ACIP expert advisors must support widespread and unhindered access to a wide range of safe and effective vaccines, including all vaccines currently on the child and adolescent vaccine schedules. This federal committee must not be used as a platform for misinformation or to sow public distrust in vaccines.

All of our currently available FDA-approved vaccines are safe and effective. Children, adults, and pregnant people all rely on CDC ACIP vaccine recommendations for access to vaccines and insurance coverage. The Vaccines for Children program has saved over 1 million lives via prevention of 18 infectious diseases [1]. Access to safe and effective vaccines should not depend on what state you live in. COVID vaccine access varies widely from state-to-state due to the recent actions of this committee [2]. This committee must not be allowed to take similar action against childhood vaccines. We need broad access to safe and effective vaccines nationally.

The birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine (ideally within 12 hours of birth) reduces the risk of perinatal hepatitis B transmission [3]. With widespread implementation of the hepatitis B birth dose in 1991, the US has seen a 99% reduction in child and teen hepatitis B infections [4]. Hepatitis B infection can lead to chronic infection, cirrhosis, and liver cancer later in life [5]. We cannot afford to lose ground on preventing hepatitis B infections.

Coadministration of many vaccines on the childhood and adolescent schedule has been shown to be safe and effective, and unscientific barriers to coadministration or combined vaccines must not be entertained by this committee. Coadministration and combined vaccine options are important for timely access to vaccines and to avoid harmful delays in vaccination. This committee should reverse course and restore the recommendation for the MMRV vaccine under age 4, including restoring Vaccines for Children access [6].

I urge the members of this committee to take action to protect and expand childhood and adolescent vaccination programs, maintain Hepatitis B vaccination including the birth dose, and enact strong vaccine campaigns.

References

1. CDC. About the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program. Vaccines for Children Program. November 17, 2025. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-for-children/about/index.html

2. Kates J, Bell C, Michaud J, Williams E, Tolbert J. Tracking State Actions on Vaccine Policy and Access. KFF. September 24, 2025. Accessed October 8, 2025. https://www.kff.org/covid-19/tracking-state-actions-on-vaccine-policy-and-access/

3. Immunization Action Coalition. Hepatitis B: What Hospitals Need to Do to Protect Newborns. Published online July 2013. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://www.immunize.org/wp-content/uploads/vaccines/a-z/hepb/end-hepb/birth-dose.pdf

4. Hepatitis B Foundation. Hepatitis B Vaccine Talking Points. September 15, 2025. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://www.hepb.org/assets/Uploads/HBV-Birth-Dose-Talking-Points-9.16.25.pdf

5. Tripathi N, Mousa OY. Hepatitis B. In: StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2025. Accessed November 18, 2025. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555945/

6. Jenco M. AAP breaks from federal vaccine panel, continues to recommend MMRV vaccine for children under 4. Published online September 19, 2025. Accessed November 18, 2025. https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/33401/AAP-breaks-from-federal-vaccine-panel-continues-to

Next steps

• After you’ve submitted your comments to the CDC, I would recommend also writing or calling your members of congress to let them know that you support childhood vaccinations, including the hepatitis B birth dose.

• Share the information in this post with friends, loved ones, and anyone who may be interested.

Subscribe now

Please join me in taking action TODAY to oppose these ongoing antivax attacks against COVID vaccines and other vaccines by making public comments to the CDC. CDC ACIP is meeting September 18-19, and the agenda includes COVID vaccines along with Hepatitis B and MMRV vaccines. Thank you to everyone who has already submitted a comment! Your voice matters—use this opportunity to share your personal story about why vaccines are important to you.

CDC Vaccine Public Comment Information

Public comment for the September 18-19 CDC ACIP meeting closes today, September 13. You can register to make an oral comment via video conferencing at the meeting, or submit a written comment. Both oral comment registration and written comment submissions are open through today, September 13, at 11:59pm EDT. You can do both!

View the docket here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2025-0454-0001

You may also register to make an oral comment at the meeting (via online teleconferencing) by filling out the oral comment form: https://www2.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/acip_publiccomment.asp All fields are required. If you are not affiliated with an organization, you can write “Self” or “Not Affiliated" in the organization field. You should receive a confirmation email after registering. If you are selected for oral comment, you should receive an email by September 16, and a response will generally be required to confirm your spot.

See the CDC’s ACIP meeting page for additional meeting details: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/index.html

Talking Points for Vaccine Access

Below are some key talking points for your comment, and a sample comment is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

1. We need immediate, universal access to the updated COVID vaccines for people of all ages, and regardless of medical conditions, at least once a year.

2. A strong recommendation from the CDC ACIP committee is needed for insurance coverage, Vaccines for Children coverage, and state vaccine program coverage. Prescriptions must not be required for COVID vaccination.

3. CDC ACIP expert advisors must take action to support widespread and unhindered access to a wide range of safe and effective vaccines to protect people of all ages in the US, including Hepatitis B, RSV, and MMR/MMRV vaccines.

You should also include brief comments about why vaccination matters to you personally, such as how vaccination for a broad range of infectious diseases has positively impacted you and your community. Optionally, at the beginning of your comment, you may also include whether or not you have any financial conflicts of interest relevant to the topic. Don’t worry about making your comment perfect or polished–your perspective matters, and this committee needs to hear how their attacks on vaccine access are impacting all of us.

Submit Your Comment

Sample Comment for COVID Vaccine Access

Docket: CDC-2025-0454

September 13, 2025

Public Comment for the September 18-19, 2025, CDC ACIP Committee Meeting

To the CDC ACIP committee:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

We need immediate, universal access to updated COVID vaccines. Any barriers to vaccination are unacceptable. Prescriptions must not be required to get a COVID vaccine, as the science continues to be clear that all people benefit from our safe and effective COVID vaccines. Shared clinical decision-making and other equivocal approaches are inadequate. Most people in the US do not have easy access to a doctor who could write them a prescription so they could access the vaccine within the next few weeks.

All of us must have regular access to updated COVID vaccines, which must be made available widely and must be covered by health insurance. The scientific evidence is clear: COVID vaccination within the last year reduces the risk of symptoms, severe disease, disability, and death for people of all ages, including previously healthy people, pregnant people, and children [1-7]. Unscientific restrictions create a de facto COVID vaccine ban through barriers to access as well as by sowing uncertainty and doubt about COVID vaccines. You must take action to reinstate strong, unhindered universal COVID vaccine recommendations for people of all ages, at least once a year, for all COVID vaccine formulations.

This committee must recommend all safe and effective vaccines to ensure broad access at pharmacies, insurance coverage, and coverage for uninsured children through the Vaccines for Children program. Hepatitis B, MMR, MMRV, RSV, and other vaccines are essential to prevent unnecessary infections, harmful consequences of infections, and deaths of both children and adults. Children should not die because of a lack of access to affordable vaccines. We need everyone at the CDC including all members of this committee to rally behind strengthening vaccination campaigns to boost vaccination rates and stop the unnecessary tragedy of preventable infections in our communities.

References

1. Link-Gelles R, Chickery S, Webber A, et al. Interim Estimates of 2024–2025 COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years — VISION and IVY Networks, September 2024–January 2025. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2025;74. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7406a1

2. Fang Z, Ahrnsbrak R, Rekito A. Evidence Mounts That About 7% of US Adults Have Had Long COVID. JAMA. Published online June 7, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.11370

3. Yousaf AR. Notes from the Field: Surveillance for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children — United States, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2024;73. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7310a2

4. Link-Gelles R. Effectiveness of COVID-19 (2023-2024 Formula) vaccines. Presented at: FDA VRBPAC Meeting; June 5, 2024. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/media/179140/download

5. Link-Gelles R. Updates to COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness. Published online May 2025. Accessed September 2, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/media/186593/download

6. Wu N, Joyal-Desmarais K, Vieira AM, et al. COVID-19 boosters versus primary series: update to a living review. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. 2023;11(10):e87-e88. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00265-5

7. Menegale F, Manica M, Zardini A, et al. Evaluation of Waning of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine–Induced Immunity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(5):e2310650. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.10650

After you’ve submitted your comments to the CDC, I would recommend also writing or calling your members of congress to demand immediate access to updated COVID vaccines. More info, instructions, and a template you can use and modify are available in my previous post highlighted below.

Thank you for taking action to support vaccine access. 😷

Please join me in taking action to oppose these ongoing antivax attacks against COVID vaccines and other vaccines by making public comments to the CDC. CDC ACIP is meeting September 18-19 and will discuss COVID vaccines along with others including Hepatitis B, MMRV, and RSV vaccines. Thank you to everyone who has already submitted a comment! Your voice matters—use this opportunity to share your personal story about why vaccines are important to you.

CDC Vaccine Public Comment Information

Public comment for the September 18-19 CDC ACIP meeting is open now and closes September 13 . You can register to make an oral comment via video conferencing at the meeting, or submit a written comment. Both oral comment registration and written comment submissions are open now through September 13 at 11:59pm EDT. You can do both!

View the docket here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2025-0454-0001

You may also register to make an oral comment at the meeting (via online teleconferencing) by filling out the oral comment form: https://www2.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/acip_publiccomment.asp All fields are required. If you are not affiliated with an organization, you can write “Self” or “Not Affiliated" in the organization field. You should receive a confirmation email after registering. If you are selected for oral comment, you should receive an email by September 16, and a response will generally be required to confirm your spot.

See the CDC’s ACIP meeting page for additional meeting details: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/index.html

Talking Points for Vaccine Access

Below are some key talking points for your comment, and a sample comment is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

1. We need immediate, universal access to the updated COVID vaccines for people of all ages, and regardless of medical conditions, at least once a year.

2. A strong recommendation from the CDC ACIP committee is needed for insurance coverage, Vaccines for Children coverage, and state vaccine program coverage. Prescriptions must not be required for COVID vaccination.

3. CDC ACIP expert advisors must take action to support widespread and unhindered access to a wide range of safe and effective vaccines to protect people of all ages in the US, including Hepatitis B, RSV, and MMR/MMRV vaccines.

You should also include brief comments about why vaccination matters to you personally, such as how vaccination for a broad range of infectious diseases has positively impacted you and your community. Optionally, at the beginning of your comment, you may also include whether or not you have any financial conflicts of interest relevant to the topic. Don’t worry about making your comment perfect or polished–your perspective matters, and this committee needs to hear how their attacks on vaccine access are impacting all of us.

Submit Your Comment

Sample Comment for COVID Vaccine Access

Docket: CDC-2025-0454

September 8, 2025

Public Comment for the September 18-19, 2025, CDC ACIP Committee Meeting

To the CDC ACIP committee:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

We need immediate, universal access to updated COVID vaccines. Any barriers to vaccination are unacceptable. Prescriptions must not be required to get a COVID vaccine, as the science continues to be clear that all people benefit from our safe and effective COVID vaccines. Shared clinical decision-making and other equivocal approaches are inadequate. Most people in the US do not have easy access to a doctor who could write them a prescription so they could access the vaccine within the next few weeks.

All of us must have regular access to updated COVID vaccines, which must be made available widely and must be covered by health insurance. The scientific evidence is clear: COVID vaccination within the last year reduces the risk of symptoms, severe disease, disability, and death for people of all ages, including previously healthy people, pregnant people, and children [1-7]. Unscientific restrictions create a de facto COVID vaccine ban through barriers to access as well as by sowing uncertainty and doubt about COVID vaccines. You must take action to reinstate strong, unhindered universal COVID vaccine recommendations for people of all ages, at least once a year, for all COVID vaccine formulations.

This committee must recommend all safe and effective vaccines to ensure broad access at pharmacies, insurance coverage, and coverage for uninsured children through the Vaccines for Children program. Hepatitis B, MMR, MMRV, RSV, and other vaccines are essential to prevent unnecessary infections, harmful consequences of infections, and deaths of both children and adults. Children should not die because of a lack of access to affordable vaccines. We need everyone at the CDC including all members of this committee to rally behind strengthening vaccination campaigns to boost vaccination rates and stop the unnecessary tragedy of preventable infections in our communities.

References

1. Link-Gelles R, Chickery S, Webber A, et al. Interim Estimates of 2024–2025 COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years — VISION and IVY Networks, September 2024–January 2025. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2025;74. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7406a1

2. Fang Z, Ahrnsbrak R, Rekito A. Evidence Mounts That About 7% of US Adults Have Had Long COVID. JAMA. Published online June 7, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.11370

3. Yousaf AR. Notes from the Field: Surveillance for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children — United States, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2024;73. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7310a2

4. Link-Gelles R. Effectiveness of COVID-19 (2023-2024 Formula) vaccines. Presented at: FDA VRBPAC Meeting; June 5, 2024. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/media/179140/download

5. Link-Gelles R. Updates to COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness. Published online May 2025. Accessed September 2, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/media/186593/download

6. Wu N, Joyal-Desmarais K, Vieira AM, et al. COVID-19 boosters versus primary series: update to a living review. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. 2023;11(10):e87-e88. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00265-5

7. Menegale F, Manica M, Zardini A, et al. Evaluation of Waning of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine–Induced Immunity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(5):e2310650. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.10650

After you’ve submitted your comments to the CDC, I would recommend also writing or calling your members of congress to demand immediate access to updated COVID vaccines. More info, instructions, and a template you can use and modify are available in my previous post highlighted below.

Thank you for taking action to support vaccine access. 😷

Please join me in taking action to oppose these ongoing antivax attacks against COVID vaccines and other vaccines by making public comments to the CDC. CDC ACIP is meeting September 18-19 and will discuss COVID vaccines along with others including Hepatitis B, MMRV, and RSV vaccines.

CDC Vaccine Public Comment Information

Public comment for the September 18-19 CDC ACIP meeting opens today September 2, and closes September 13. You can register to make an oral comment via video conferencing at the meeting, or submit a written comment. Oral comment registration and written comment submissions are open September 2 through September 13.

View the docket here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2025-0454-0001

You may also register to make an oral comment at the meeting (via online teleconferencing) by filling out the oral comment form: https://www2.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/acip_publiccomment.asp All fields are required. If you are not affiliated with an organization, you can write “Self” or “Not Affiliated" in the organization field. You should receive a confirmation email after registering. If you are selected for oral comment, you should receive an email by September 16, and a response will generally be required to confirm your spot.

See the CDC’s ACIP meeting page for additional meeting details: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/index.html

Talking Points for Vaccine Access

Below are some key talking points for your comment, and a sample comment is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

1. We need immediate, universal access to the updated COVID vaccines for people of all ages, and regardless of medical conditions, at least once a year.

2. A strong recommendation from the CDC ACIP committee is needed for insurance coverage, Vaccines for Children coverage, and state vaccine program coverage. Prescriptions must not be required for COVID vaccination.

3. CDC ACIP expert advisors must take action to support widespread and unhindered access to a wide range of safe and effective vaccines to protect people of all ages in the US, including Hepatitis B, RSV, and MMR/MMRV vaccines.

You should also include brief comments about why vaccination matters to you personally, such as how vaccination for a broad range of infectious diseases has positively impacted you and your community. Optionally, at the beginning of your comment, you may also include whether or not you have any financial conflicts of interest relevant to the topic. Don’t worry about making your comment perfect or polished–your perspective matters, and this committee needs to hear how their attacks on vaccine access are impacting all of us.

Submit Your Comment

Sample Comment for COVID Vaccine Access

Docket: CDC-2025-0454

September 2, 2025

Public Comment for the September 18-19, 2025, CDC ACIP Committee Meeting

To the CDC ACIP committee:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

We need immediate, universal access to updated COVID vaccines. Any barriers to vaccination are unacceptable. Prescriptions must not be required to get a COVID vaccine, as the science continues to be clear that all people benefit from our safe and effective COVID vaccines. Shared clinical decision-making and other equivocal approaches are inadequate. Most people in the US do not have easy access to a doctor who could write them a prescription so they could access the vaccine within the next few weeks.

All of us must have regular access to updated COVID vaccines, which must be made available widely and must be covered by health insurance. The scientific evidence is clear: COVID vaccination within the last year reduces the risk of symptoms, severe disease, disability, and death for people of all ages, including previously healthy people, pregnant people, and children [1-7]. Unscientific restrictions create a de facto COVID vaccine ban through barriers to access as well as by sowing uncertainty and doubt about COVID vaccines. You must take action to reinstate strong, unhindered universal COVID vaccine recommendations for people of all ages, at least once a year, for all COVID vaccine formulations.

This committee must recommend all safe and effective vaccines to ensure broad access at pharmacies, insurance coverage, and coverage for uninsured children through the Vaccines for Children program. Hepatitis B, MMR, MMRV, RSV, and other vaccines are essential to prevent unnecessary infections, harmful consequences of infections, and deaths of both children and adults. Children should not die because of a lack of access to affordable vaccines. We need everyone at the CDC including all members of this committee to rally behind strengthening vaccination campaigns to boost vaccination rates and stop the unnecessary tragedy of preventable infections in our communities.

References

1. Link-Gelles R, Chickery S, Webber A, et al. Interim Estimates of 2024–2025 COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years — VISION and IVY Networks, September 2024–January 2025. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2025;74. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7406a1

2. Fang Z, Ahrnsbrak R, Rekito A. Evidence Mounts That About 7% of US Adults Have Had Long COVID. JAMA. Published online June 7, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.11370

3. Yousaf AR. Notes from the Field: Surveillance for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children — United States, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2024;73. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7310a2

4. Link-Gelles R. Effectiveness of COVID-19 (2023-2024 Formula) vaccines. Presented at: FDA VRBPAC Meeting; June 5, 2024. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/media/179140/download

5. Link-Gelles R. Updates to COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness. Published online May 2025. Accessed September 2, 2025. https://www.fda.gov/media/186593/download

6. Wu N, Joyal-Desmarais K, Vieira AM, et al. COVID-19 boosters versus primary series: update to a living review. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. 2023;11(10):e87-e88. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00265-5

7. Menegale F, Manica M, Zardini A, et al. Evaluation of Waning of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine–Induced Immunity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(5):e2310650. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.10650

After you’ve submitted your comments to the CDC, I would recommend also writing or calling your members of congress to demand immediate access to updated COVID vaccines. More info, instructions, and a template you can use and modify are available in my previous post highlighted below.

Thank you for taking action to support vaccine access. 😷

The change in policy also opens the door to discrimination against doctors and other healthcare providers themselves, including discrimination based on labor union participation. This is happening at the same time the Trump administration is attempting to strip federal workers of union rights, including thousands of VA nurses and 80,000 jobs are planned to be cut from the VA workforce, including some medical support personnel.

Please join me in asking Congress to protect VA care for all patients by reinstating the VA’s full nondiscrimination policy and gender-affirming care.

How to Take Action

1. Find your elected officials
   https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
   Find your two senators and one house representative. You should contact elected officials who represent you, not those for other states or other districts.

2. Draft your comment
   Use the talking points or sample comment below to draft your comment. Please feel free to use and modify the text freely for any advocacy purposes. Personalize your message by adding a sentence or two about why this issue is important to you. For example, you could share if you or a loved one are a veteran, receive medical care at the VA, worked at a VA hospital or clinic, or participated in medical training at the VA.

3. Optional - if you have one of the following representatives on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs: Congressman Mark Takano (CA-39), Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Congressman Herb Conaway, Jr. (NJ-03), Congresswoman Kelly Morrison (MN-03), and Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26), also thank them for their statement.

4. Submit your comment using your representative’s contact form and/or call to leave a message or talk to their staff
   If you call your representative, be sure to give your full name and address to confirm that you are their constituent. If you are a registered voter, let them know this as well.

Talking Points

• Denying care on the basis of political affiliation, national origin, or marital status is unethical.

• Workers’ refusal to care for certain patients will lead to dangerous delays in care or loss of access to care if an alternative provider is not found.

• Gender-affirming care is essential individualized healthcare and must be reinstated at the VA.

• VA care is an earned benefit for veterans injured while serving their country and other qualifying service.

• VA hospitals are a major site of medical education; discrimination is antithetical to the mission of education.

• The rule also allows for discrimination against healthcare providers, exacerbating existing workforce shortages.

Sample Letter Text

I am writing to urge you to take action to protect all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) patients from discrimination and reinstate gender-affirming care. The VA must reinstate policy language that prohibits discrimination on the basis of political affiliation, marital status, national origin, or participation in a labor union. Discrimination in healthcare settings is unethical and can lead to poor quality care, delays in care, and denial of care, all of which can harm patients.

About 18 veterans die by suicide every day, making access to healthcare including mental health services an even more urgent issue. VA medical care must be provided without delays and without stigma. The full spectrum of gender-affirming care is needed for high-quality individualized healthcare across all medical specialties.

The new policies also allow discrimination against healthcare workers, amid severe workforce shortages. VA hospitals are an important site of medical education, and practicing nondiscrimination is needed to provide ethical training for our future doctors and other medical providers. I urge you to take action to reinstate VA nondiscrimination policies and gender-affirming care.

Thank you for taking action to protect veterans’ healthcare. Please share this information with others who may be interested.

View the docket here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2025-0024-0001

Register to make an oral comment at the 6/25-6/26 meeting (via online teleconferencing) by filling out the oral comment form: https://www2.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/acip_publiccomment.asp All fields are required. If you are not affiliated with an organization, you can write “Self” or “Not Affiliated" in the organization field. Be sure to choose 6/25 or 6/26 as the date—the meeting was shortened to two days, but 6/27 was not removed from the registration form. If you are selected for oral comment, you should receive an email by June 23, which usually requires a response to confirm your spot. Oral comments are typically 3 minutes long, and most people find it helpful to read from a written statement.

See the CDC’s ACIP meeting page for additional details for the June 25-27 meeting: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/index.html

A draft meeting agenda was posted on June 18 and shows that votes are only scheduled for RSV and influenza vaccines. Although COVID vaccines will be discussed, no vote appears on the draft agenda. I expect the meeting discussion to go fully antivaxx, with discussion of settled science including MMRV vaccines and thimerosal in influenza vaccines appearing on the agenda. Although MMRV is not up for voting in this agenda, this meeting’s discussion could be a prelude to future top-down policy changes from RFK Jr. and others, or future votes within this committee.

Thank you to everyone who has commented already, and please take a moment to share this information with anyone who may be able to submit a comment today.

Talking Points

Below are some key talking points for your comment, and a sample comment is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

1. CDC ACIP expert advisors must support widespread and unhindered access to a wide range of safe and effective vaccines, including COVID, HPV, influenza, MMR/MMRV, meningococcal, and RSV vaccines.

2. Currently available FDA-approved vaccines are safe and effective. Children, adults, and pregnant people all rely on CDC ACIP vaccine recommendations for access to vaccines and insurance coverage.

3. We need a universal recommendation for COVID vaccination for people of all ages, including children and pregnant people, at least annually.

You should also include comments about why vaccination matters to you personally. You might include how vaccination for a broad range of infectious diseases has positively impacted you and your community or how barriers to vaccination or insurance coverage have impacted you or a loved one.

Optionally, at the beginning of your comment, you may also include whether or not you have any financial conflicts of interest relevant to the topic.

Submit Your Comment

Sample Comment

Docket: CDC-2025-0024

June 20, 2025

Public Comment for the June 25-27, 2025 CDC ACIP Committee Meeting

To the CDC ACIP committee:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose. I am writing to express my grave concerns about the recent termination of all 17 existing CDC ACIP committee members, announced on June 9 by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Independent expert scientific and medical input from the ACIP committee is crucial to inform access to safe and effective FDA-approved and authorized vaccines and also to guide insurance coverage and coverage for uninsured children through the Vaccines for Children program. Vaccination rates for many diseases are far too low, and our communities are impacted by outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, pertussis, and COVID. Many of these infections cause serious and potentially lifelong consequences in unvaccinated children and adults. Children should not die because of a lack of access to affordable vaccines. We need strong support for effective vaccination campaigns, including COVID, HPV, influenza, MMR/MMRV, meningococcal, and RSV vaccines.

The recent restrictions on COVID vaccinations are a serious concern. All of us must have regular access to updated COVID vaccines, which must be made available widely and must be covered by health insurance. The scientific evidence is clear: COVID vaccination within the last year reduces the risk of symptoms, severe disease, disability, and death for people of all ages, including previously healthy people. The new policies impose harmful restrictions on COVID vaccines, which limit vaccine access for children, pregnant people, and adults under age 65. These restrictions also sow uncertainty and doubt about COVID vaccines, while there is no scientific basis for the restrictions. Please take action to reinstate universal COVID vaccine recommendations for people of all ages, at least once a year, for all COVID vaccine formulations.

Vaccine policy changes must be undertaken in a science-based, open, and transparent process that prioritizes public health. The COVID vaccine policy updates were done in a top-down fashion, without appropriate expert advisory committee input. FDA’s VRBPAC committee members were not allowed to discuss the COVID vaccine policy changes at the May 22 meeting. There was no opportunity to provide public comment on the new policies before they were implemented. Influenza vaccine strain selection also occurred in a closed-door meeting without input from the FDA VRBPAC committee and with no opportunity for public comment. Please ensure that all vaccine policy decisions are made using appropriate open and transparent processes, which are essential to our democracy.

Please share this information broadly with anyone who may be interested. I also encourage you to contact your elected officials to let them know you oppose this action by RFK Jr. You can use the instructions and modify the sample letter provided in my previous substack post. Thank you for taking action to protect access to vaccines.

On June 9, 2025, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., announced via a Wall Street Journal opinion piece that he was removing all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). RFK Jr. and other political appointees within HHS have bypassed expert advisory committee input in imposing severe restrictions on COVID vaccines, including removing vaccine recommendations for pregnant people and children. Those changes were made based on antivax misinformation. Now, RFK Jr. has replaced the entire ACIP expert advisory committee membership with a slate of eight advisors, many of whom have a public track record of anti-vaccine views.

View the docket here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2025-0024-0001

You can also register to make an oral comment at the meeting (via online teleconferencing) by filling out the oral comment form: https://www2.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/acip_publiccomment.asp All fields are required. If you are not affiliated with an organization, you can write “Self” or “Not Affiliated" in the organization field. If you are selected for oral comment, you should receive an email by June 23, which usually requires a response to confirm your spot.

See the CDC’s ACIP meeting page for additional details for the June 25-27 meeting: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/index.html

Talking Points

Below are some key talking points for your comment, and a sample comment is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

1. CDC ACIP expert advisors must support widespread and unhindered access to a wide range of safe and effective vaccines, including COVID, HPV, influenza, meningococcal, and RSV vaccines.

2. Currently available FDA-approved vaccines are safe and effective. Children, adults, and pregnant people all rely on CDC ACIP vaccine recommendations for access to vaccines and insurance coverage.

3. We need a universal recommendation for COVID vaccination for people of all ages, including children and pregnant people, at least annually.

You should also include comments about why vaccination matters to you personally. You might include how vaccination for a broad range of infectious diseases has positively impacted you and your community or how barriers to vaccination or insurance coverage have impacted you or a loved one.

Optionally, at the beginning of your comment, you may also include whether or not you have any financial conflicts of interest relevant to the topic.

Submit Your Comment

Sample Comment

Docket: CDC-2025-0024

June 15, 2025

Public Comment for the June 25-27, 2025 CDC ACIP Committee Meeting

To the CDC ACIP committee:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose. I am writing to express my grave concerns about the recent termination of all 17 existing CDC ACIP committee members, announced on June 9 by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Independent expert scientific and medical input from the ACIP committee is crucial to inform access to safe and effective FDA-approved and authorized vaccines and also to guide insurance coverage and coverage for uninsured children through the Vaccines for Children program. Vaccination rates for many diseases are far too low, and our communities are impacted by outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, pertussis, and COVID. Many of these infections cause serious and potentially lifelong consequences in unvaccinated children and adults. Children should not die because of a lack of access to affordable vaccines. We need strong support for effective vaccination campaigns, including COVID, HPV, influenza, meningococcal, and RSV vaccines.

The recent restrictions on COVID vaccinations are a serious concern. All of us must have regular access to updated COVID vaccines, which must be made available widely and must be covered by health insurance. The scientific evidence is clear: COVID vaccination within the last year reduces the risk of symptoms, severe disease, disability, and death for people of all ages, including previously healthy people. The new policies impose harmful restrictions on COVID vaccines, which limit vaccine access for children, pregnant people, and adults under age 65. These restrictions also sow uncertainty and doubt about COVID vaccines, while there is no scientific basis for the restrictions. Please take action to reinstate universal COVID vaccine recommendations for people of all ages, at least once a year, for all COVID vaccine formulations.

Vaccine policy changes must be undertaken in a science-based, open, and transparent process that prioritizes public health. The COVID vaccine policy updates were done in a top-down fashion, without appropriate expert advisory committee input. FDA’s VRBPAC committee members were not allowed to discuss the COVID vaccine policy changes at the May 22 meeting. There was no opportunity to provide public comment on the new policies before they were implemented. Influenza vaccine strain selection also occurred in a closed-door meeting without input from the FDA VRBPAC committee and with no opportunity for public comment. Please ensure that all vaccine policy decisions are made using appropriate open and transparent processes, which are essential to our democracy.

Please share this information broadly with anyone who may be interested. I also encourage you to contact your elected officials to let them know you oppose this action by RFK Jr. You can use the instructions and modify the sample letter provided in my previous substack post. Thank you for taking action to protect access to vaccines.

Public comment for the June 25-27 ACIP meeting opened today, and closes June 20. Let’s flood the public comment with our pro-vaccine voices. Written comment submission and oral comment registration closes June 20 at 11:59 EDT.

View the docket here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2025-0024-0001

You may also register to make an oral comment at the meeting (via online teleconferencing) by filling out the oral comment form: https://www2.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/acip_publiccomment.asp All fields are required. If you are not affiliated with an organization, you can write “Self” or “Not Affiliated" in the organization field. If you are selected for oral comment, you should receive an email by June 23, which usually requires a response to confirm your spot.

See the CDC’s ACIP meeting page for additional meeting details: https://www.cdc.gov/acip/meetings/index.html

Talking Points

Below are some key talking points for your comment, and a sample comment is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

1. CDC ACIP expert advisors must support widespread and unhindered access to a wide range of safe and effective vaccines.

2. Currently available FDA-approved vaccines are safe and effective. Children, adults, and pregnant people all rely on CDC ACIP vaccine recommendations for access to vaccines and insurance coverage.

3. We need a universal recommendation for COVID vaccination for people of all ages, including children and pregnant people, at least annually.

You should also include brief comments about why vaccination matters to you personally. You might include how vaccination for a broad range of infectious diseases has positively impacted you and your community or how barriers to vaccination or insurance coverage have impacted you or a loved one.

Optionally, at the beginning of your comment, you may also include whether or not you have any financial conflicts of interest relevant to the topic.

Submit Your Comment

Sample Comment

Docket: CDC-2025-0024

June 9, 2025

Public Comment for the June 25-27, 2025 CDC ACIP Committee Meeting

To the CDC ACIP committee:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose. I am writing to express my grave concerns about the recent termination of all 17 existing CDC ACIP committee members, announced on June 9 by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Independent expert scientific and medical input from the ACIP committee is crucial to inform access to safe and effective FDA-approved and authorized vaccines and also to guide insurance coverage and coverage for uninsured children through the Vaccines for Children program. Vaccination rates for many diseases are far too low, and our communities are impacted by outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, pertussis, and COVID. Many of these infections cause serious and potentially lifelong consequences in unvaccinated children and adults. Children should not die because of a lack of access to affordable vaccines. We need strong support for effective vaccination campaigns.

The recent restrictions on COVID vaccinations are a serious concern. All of us must have regular access to updated COVID vaccines, which must be made available widely and must be covered by health insurance. The scientific evidence is clear: COVID vaccination within the last year reduces the risk of symptoms, severe disease, disability, and death for people of all ages, including previously healthy people. The new policies impose harmful restrictions on COVID vaccines, which limit vaccine access for children, pregnant people, and adults under age 65. These restrictions also sow uncertainty and doubt about COVID vaccines, while there is no scientific basis for the restrictions. Please take action to reinstate universal COVID vaccine recommendations for people of all ages, at least once a year, for all COVID vaccine formulations.

Vaccine policy changes must be undertaken in a science-based, open, and transparent process that prioritizes public health. The COVID vaccine policy updates were done in a top-down fashion, without appropriate expert advisory committee input. FDA’s VRBPAC committee members were not allowed to discuss the COVID vaccine policy changes at the May 22 meeting. There was no opportunity to provide public comment on the new policies before they were implemented. Influenza vaccine strain selection also occurred in a closed-door meeting without input from the FDA VRBPAC committee and with no opportunity for public comment. Please ensure that all vaccine policy decisions are made using appropriate open and transparent processes, which are essential to our democracy.

Thank you for taking action to protect access to vaccines. I also encourage you to contact your elected officials to let them know you oppose this action by RFK Jr. You can use the instructions and modify the sample letter provided in my previous substack post.

People of all ages continue to benefit from COVID vaccination at least once a year, and restrictions create unnecessary barriers to vaccination. Please join me in asking Congress to take action to reinstate universal access to COVID vaccines for all ages.

How to Take Action

1. Find your elected officials

   https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

   Find your two senators and one house representative. You should contact elected officials who represent you, not those for other states or other districts.

2. Draft your comment

   Use the talking points or sample comment below to draft your comment. Please feel free to use and modify the text freely for any advocacy purposes. Personalize your comment by adding a sentence or two about why updated COVID vaccine access is important to you, your loved ones, or your community.

3. Submit your comment using your representative’s contact form and/or call to leave a message or talk to their staff

   If you call your representative, be sure to give your full name and address to confirm that you are their constituent. If you are a registered voter, let them know this as well.

Talking Points

• COVID vaccines must be made available universally and at least every year for people of all ages, 6 months and up, regardless of medical conditions.

• COVID vaccines must continue to be updated regularly, at least once a year.

• Public health officials must consult expert advisory committees, meet in open sessions, and allow public comment on vaccine policy decision-making.

Sample Comment to Members of Congress

I urge you to take action to reinstate universal updated COVID vaccine access for people of all ages. All of us must have regular access to updated COVID vaccines, which must be made available widely and must be covered by health insurance. Public health officials, including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Martin Makary, Jay Bhattacharya, and Vinay Prasad, have severely restricted access to COVID vaccines. They have taken this action without the appropriate expert advisory committee input and without opportunities for public comment. Please hold our public health leaders accountable to the required open process for policy development and implementation.

The new policies impose harmful restrictions on COVID vaccines, which limit vaccine access for children, pregnant people, and adults under age 65. The scientific evidence is clear: COVID vaccination within the last year reduces the risk of symptoms, severe disease, disability, and death for people of all ages, including previously healthy people.

Please take action to reinstate updated COVID vaccine access and insurance coverage for all ages. Thank you for your attention in this important matter.

Next Steps

• Share this information with friends, family, and interested communities. If possible, help others contact their elected officials in support of reinstating universal COVID vaccine access.

• Mark your calendar for June 9 through June 20, when public comments will be open for the CDC ACIP meeting June 25-27, which is slated to include discussion of COVID vaccine recommendations.

  • Public comments led to the universal COVID vaccine recommendation for Fall 2024. In April 2025, the committee indicated a desire to move to risk-based rather than universal COVID vaccine recommendations, but a flood of public comments can make an impact. A strong statement from this CDC committee for universal COVID vaccine access would be an important rebuke to the recent restrictions.

• Get up-to-date on COVID vaccines as well as other recommended vaccines, and encourage others to do so. For Wisconsinites, you can check your vaccination records at the Wisconsin Immunization Registry, and many other states also have online registries.

  • Adults aged 65 and older and people who are immunocompromised are eligible for a second (spring/summer) shot of the 2024-2025 COVID vaccine, if they have not had a COVID vaccine in the last two months. Immunocompromised people may receive additional doses (beyond two) in consultation with their healthcare provider.

  • Adults who have not had a 2024-2025 COVID vaccine are also eligible now.

  • Children aged 6 months to 17 years who have not received a COVID vaccine this year are also eligible but may need additional documentation for insurance coverage, due to the recent change to “shared clinical decision-making” rather than a universal recommendation in CDC’s children’s vaccine schedule.

  • Amid the changing guidelines, there may be confusion among vaccine providers. Additional documentation or follow up may be needed for vaccination or insurance coverage. If you can, help others navigate any barriers to vaccination.

Thank you for reading and for taking action for universal access to COVID vaccines.

Please see my FDA VRBPAC written comment for scientific references supporting universal COVID vaccination. For further reading on COVID vaccines, see my vaccine update from fall 2024.

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Although it might seem early in the season for wildfires, climate change is lengthening the risk period for wildfires and other hazards including flooding, extreme heat, and severe storms. The Union of Concerned Scientists tracks these impacts on their Danger Season map, which currently indicates that over 41 million people in the US are facing extreme weather alerts as of today’s update.

The above photo was from June 2023, when we had recurring impacts from wildfire smoke over multi-day stretches. Last summer (2024) we had a bit of a reprieve from wildfire smoke here in Wisconsin, although air pollution and ground-level ozone production still impacted air quality.

You can check local current air quality at AirNow.gov, as well as predictions for the next couple of days. You should be aware that there are often differences between AirNow.gov and air quality index values given in mobile weather apps, which may indicate differences in measurements and sampling locations between public and private air quality monitoring networks. I recommend checking the AQI regularly, as predictions are not always reliable and the situation can change depending on multiple factors.

N95 respirators are very effective in reducing exposure to particulate matter pollutants including PM_2.5.1 However, personal protective equipment is best used as part of a multilayered approach, and reducing exposure is important as well. This means reducing time spent outdoors and consulting with your doctor if you may be at high risk of health impacts or are experiencing any new or concerning symptoms. Notably, we should also reduce exposure for our pets too by keeping them indoors during poor air quality. It’s advisable to consult your veterinarian for pets who may have increased sensitivity and discuss any concerns. During times when air quality is poor, I shorten or skip dog walks and give the pup extra treat puzzles inside instead. 🐶

Importantly, regular N95 respirators only help with the particulate matter component of smoke—they are not effective for reducing ozone, which is a gas, unless they are specifically rated for ozone. Smoke and air pollution contain other toxic components as well, many of which cannot be filtered by broadly available respirators.

Poor air quality including both particulates and ozone can harm our health in both the short- and long-term. High heat and poor air quality are particularly dangerous for people with cardiovascular disease. Exercising outdoors in polluted air can be dangerous for healthy people—even if you do not experience immediate symptoms such as difficulty breathing, the increased risk of cardiovascular disease may outweigh the benefits of exercise.2 For further reading, check out this blog post from Maria Cecilia Pinto de Moura at the Union of Concerned Scientists on pollution health impacts, ozone and PM_2.5 standards, and why we must take action to defend the EPA and the Clean Air Act.

Beginning June 16, 2025, OSHA is conducting a virtual public hearing on a proposed rule for heat illness prevention in the workplace. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak at this hearing on behalf of our local group, Wisconsin Community Health Action. Our comments will support the new rule and offer suggestions to strengthen it, as well as highlighting the combined impacts of extreme heat, air quality, and infectious disease risks on worker health. You can read our written comments submitted in January 2025. My oral comments are currently scheduled for July 2, the final day of the hearing. The OSHA rulemaking website will be updated with the link to the hearing livestream, and there will be a final opportunity for written public comment after the hearing.

Stay safe and mask up to protect yourself, both indoors and out! 😷

How to Take Action

View the docket and submitted comments here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FDA-2025-N-1146-0001

Below are some key talking points for your comment, and my full oral comment is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

1. COVID vaccines must continue to be updated regularly (at least once a year) to match circulating strains.

2. We need updated COVID vaccines for fall, ideally by July-August prior to the start of the K-12 school year.

3. COVID vaccines must be made available universally, for people of all ages, 6 months and up, regardless of medical conditions.

4. Because immunity wanes over time, COVID vaccination should be available twice a year for all ages.

You should also include brief comments about why updated COVID vaccination matters to you personally, such as how vaccination has positively impacted you and your community in the face of ongoing COVID exposure risks.

Submit Your Comment

Missed the deadline? CDC vaccine committee (ACIP) meeting is coming up in June and will have a related public comment opportunity. I also recommend contacting your elected officials to let them know you support universal COVID vaccine access.

Meeting materials including presentation slides are available: FDA VRBPAC Meeting Materials

Video of the meeting is included below via YouTube. My comments begin at about 4:54:44.

The text of my oral comment is available below. For the full text and references of my written comment, please see my previous substack post.

My name is Kaitlin Sundling, and I have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

First, I want to thank Commander Valerie Marshall and all the FDA staff whose work in making this meeting go smoothly under very challenging circumstances is very much appreciated.

As an MD-PhD physician-scientist and public health advocate, I am speaking today in strong support of updated COVID vaccines. We need updated formulations of all currently approved and authorized types to better match circulating strains, and we need universal vaccine access for people of all ages and regardless of medical history.

As Dr. Sarah Meyer very rightly alluded to, it is critically important to consider the practical effects of changing the vaccine target in light of the newly announced regulatory framework. Strain selection is a false choice if this committee must choose between a strain update that would be more effective but require costly and time-prohibitive clinical trials or keeping the current strain target, which would result in a loss of efficacy over time. If these issues cannot be discussed openly amongst the members of this committee, there is a very real concern that this committee is being used as a pawn to eliminate vaccine access for the US population.

It is ridiculous to suggest that posting on social media is a substitute for an open public meeting with expert discussion and opportunities for both written and oral public comment. Why are two individuals making top-down decisions about vaccine policy? Although it has been stated in this meeting that those policies are preliminary, when will an open meeting about those policies occur? There is no reason why fall flu vaccine strain selection should have occurred behind closed doors without any opportunity for public comment, and this is a dangerous and unacceptable precedent. Our democracy needs true transparency and accountability in our trusted public health institutions.

Based on the success of previous formula updates, including the references included in section 3.1 of the posted briefing document for this meeting, an update to strain LP.8.1 or another currently circulating JN.1 sublineage, is the best option rather than keeping the current JN.1/KP.2-based formulations. Current formulations have been effective but will diminish in efficacy over time as variants continue to genetically diverge, with ongoing antigenic drift.

The safety and efficacy of these vaccines have been established over many clinical trials and real-world monitoring, including both the original formulations as well as multiple strain updates. Non-clinical data is appropriate evidence to support a new variant-updated formulation. Placebo-controlled trials can only be ethically conducted when there is doubt as to whether a vaccine candidate may perform better than a saline injection, and where no other effective comparison vaccine exists. With our currently available COVID vaccines, and with future variant updates, there is no such doubt. Treating variant updates as an entirely new product does a disservice to public health and should not be used as an excuse to deny access to safe and effective vaccines for any group of people.

All COVID vaccine updates must be approved universally for people of all ages, 6 months and up, twice a year, and regardless of medical history. For fall 2025, updates must be made available by July or August and prior to the start of the K-12 school year to provide the most benefit for children, families, and communities. More than 70% of COVID spread in households starts with a child. Children continue to be susceptible to acute disease and more serious consequences including MIS-C and Long COVID, and recent vaccination reduces the risk of these consequences.

Restricting vaccine access to limited age groups or people with specific high risk medical conditions creates unnecessary barriers to vaccination for high-risk groups, including significant problems in getting vaccinated at pharmacies and problems with insurance coverage. All people, regardless of age and medical history, need broad access to regularly updated COVID vaccine formulations. Thank you.

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Please join me in making a public comment advocating for continued updates to COVID vaccines to the FDA’s vaccine committee by May 14, 2025, 12pm noon EDT.

Written comments submitted by May 14 at noon will be given to the committee for consideration prior to the committee meeting on May 22. You may continue to submit comments until May 23 at 11:59pm EDT for FDA consideration after the meeting.

View the docket here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FDA-2025-N-1146-0001

You may also register to make an oral comment at the meeting (via online teleconferencing) by May 14 at 12pm noon EDT. More details on oral comment registration are available on the meeting page linked below. If you are selected for oral comment, you should receive an email by May 16.

See the FDA’s meeting page for additional meeting details and for oral comment registration: https://www.fda.gov/advisory-committees/advisory-committee-calendar/vaccines-and-related-biological-products-advisory-committee-may-22-2025-meeting-announcement

Below are some key talking points for your comment, and my full comment is below the divider. Please feel free to copy, modify, and share any of the text for your own advocacy.

1. COVID vaccines must continue to be updated regularly (at least once a year) to match circulating strains.

2. We need updated COVID vaccines for fall, ideally by July-August prior to the start of the K-12 school year.

3. COVID vaccines must be made available for people of all ages, 6 months and up.

4. Because immunity wanes over time, COVID vaccination should be available twice a year for all ages.

You should also include brief comments about why updated COVID vaccination matters to you personally, such as how vaccination has positively impacted you and your community in the face of ongoing COVID exposure risks.

Submit Your Comment

Docket: FDA-2025-N-1146

May 9, 2025

Public Comment for the May 22, 2025 meeting of the Food and Drug Administration Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee

To the FDA VRBPAC committee:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose. As a physician-scientist (MD-PhD) and public health advocate, I am writing to strongly support updated COVID vaccine formulations of all currently approved and authorized types (Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines, and Novavax’s protein subunit vaccine) to better match circulating strains.

COVID continues to spread within our communities, and vaccination reduces the risk of symptomatic disease, severe disease, disability, and death. COVID vaccines have gone through regular strain updates, and each update has been both safe and effective. For fall 2025, updates must be made available by July or August and prior to the start of the K-12 school year to provide the most benefit for children, families, and communities. Although COVID spreads in all seasons, the fall start of the K-12 school year, as well as the beginning of university classes in the fall, causes many new groups of people to mix and can be anticipated to lead to increases in COVID spread.

COVID vaccines must be updated to match currently circulating strains. 2024-2025 COVID vaccines have been effective [1] but will diminish in efficacy over time as new variants continue to emerge. The safety and efficacy of these vaccines have been established over many clinical trials and real-world monitoring, including both the original formulations as well as multiple strain updates. The update process mirrors the routine process for seasonal influenza vaccine strain updates and provides the necessary timeframe to minimize delays in updated vaccine availability.

All COVID vaccine updates must be made available for people of all ages, 6 months and up, twice a year. Both children and adults remain at risk of both short- and long-term impacts from COVID infections [2, 3]. Access to vaccination at least twice a year (every 6 months) for all ages is needed to provide the greatest benefit, as immunity wanes over time [4, 5, 6]. Also, restricting vaccine access to limited age groups or people with specific high risk medical conditions would create unnecessary barriers to vaccination for high-risk groups.

Vaccine recommendations must be open and transparent, following the usual process within this committee and with opportunities for public comment. Fall 2025 flu vaccine strain selection occurred within a closed-door meeting without input from the usual range of expert advisors on VRBPAC’s roster [7]. There was no opportunity for public comment. Opportunities for public input as well as open discussions via broadcast public meetings are essential for public trust in vaccines and for trust in our public health institutions.

Anti-vax, anti-science, and anti-public health influences have no place in our trusted public health institutions. Denying everyday people access to safe and effective vaccines harms all of us. Vaccine uptake is already far too low, and recent federal cuts have included research into vaccine hesitancy as well as the “Wild to Mild” CDC flu vaccine campaign [8]. Members of this committee should take every opportunity to advocate for effective vaccination campaigns.

Funding for next-generation vaccine research was recently cut and must be reinstated and strengthened. Successful development of improved vaccines will benefit from significant investments in innovative technologies across a diverse range of vaccine candidates; we must not limit funding to a small number of vaccine candidates. Importantly, vaccine research must proceed without diminishing access to the safe and effective approved and authorized vaccine platforms that are already available.

References

1. Link-Gelles R, Chickery S, Webber A, et al. Interim Estimates of 2024–2025 COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years — VISION and IVY Networks, September 2024–January 2025. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2025;74. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7406a1

2. Fang Z, Ahrnsbrak R, Rekito A. Evidence Mounts That About 7% of US Adults Have Had Long COVID. JAMA. Published online June 7, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.11370

3. Yousaf AR. Notes from the Field: Surveillance for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children — United States, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2024;73. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7310a2

4. Link-Gelles R. Effectiveness of COVID-19 (2023-2024 Formula) vaccines. Presented at: FDA VRBPAC Meeting; June 5, 2024. Accessed June 12, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/media/179140/download

5. Wu N, Joyal-Desmarais K, Vieira AM, et al. COVID-19 boosters versus primary series: update to a living review. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. 2023;11(10):e87-e88. doi:10.1016/S2213-2600(23)00265-5

6. Menegale F, Manica M, Zardini A, et al. Evaluation of Waning of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine–Induced Immunity: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(5):e2310650. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.10650

7. Dillinger K, Goodman B. After canceling meeting of independent advisers, FDA issues 2025-26 flu vaccine recommendations. CNN. March 14, 2025. Accessed May 9, 2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/13/health/fda-flu-vaccine-recommendations

8. CDC. New Wild to Mild Campaign Drives Key Message to Tame Flu and Reset Expectations. Influenza (Flu). January 31, 2025. Accessed May 9, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/whats-new/2023-2024-new-campaign-wild-to-mild.html

View the docket and submitted comments on Regulations.gov: https://www.regulations.gov/document/CDC-2025-0017-0001

Submit your comment: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/CDC-2025-0017-0001

My submitted comment is below. Please feel free to borrow any wording or talking points for your own comment. Include a sentence or two about why vaccination is personal and important to you.

The agenda includes discussion of broad range of vaccine topics, including voting items on meningococcal, RSV, and chikungunya vaccines. COVID, influenza, Lyme, pneumococcal, HPV, CMV, and measles vaccines also appear on the agenda for discussion.

If you read this after the deadline, you can still take action by writing your elected officials in support of vaccination.

Docket: CDC-2025-0017-0001

April 9, 2025

Public Comment for the April 15-16, 2025 meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices

To the CDC ACIP committee:

I have no conflicts of interest to disclose. As a physician-scientist (MD-PhD) and public health advocate, I am writing to strongly support this committee’s scientific independence and transparency, including continued regular open meetings of advisors who represent science-based medical and public health professionals, as well as patient and public representatives.

Vaccine approval and recommendation must occur without any threat of political interference. It is unacceptable that a recent FDA VRBPAC meeting occurred behind closed doors, without the opportunity for public comment, and without the input of the usual membership of expert advisors.

I support the scientific consensus that routine vaccination with safe and effective FDA-approved and authorized vaccines against a broad spectrum of pathogens saves the lives of both children and adults and improves our quality of life. Public health is being dismantled from every angle, including mass firings of federal public health workers, and cuts to research and program funding. Under the guise of stopping censorship, research on vaccine hesitancy has been cut. Amid a growing measles outbreak where many US communities in rural and underserved areas have MMR vaccination rates that fall well below the threshold for herd immunity, funding to the highly successful and life-saving Vaccines for Children program has been cut. Notably, the Vaccines for Children program just celebrated its 30-year anniversary. We cannot go back to a time when infectious diseases ran rampant, causing unnecessary disease, disability, and death.

I urge members of this committee to speak out at every opportunity in support of our safe and effective vaccines, and I encourage everyone who reads these comments to write their elected officials to let them know that access to vaccines is an essential part of public health and disease prevention. No one will be healthier if safe and effective vaccines are not provided either through health insurance or through free programs for the uninsured/underinsured. All of us are harmed if public vaccine campaigns are dismantled for political reasons.

I will provide a few specific comments on additional items for this meeting’s agenda. For the meeting’s voting items, I urge you to consider simplifying the RSV vaccine recommendations to allow vaccination by age only, and not just for specific risk groups for people between age 50 and 74. Risk factors for severe disease within the 50 to 74 age group are common, and a weak recommendation creates uncertainty among both patients and vaccine providers. Many older adults receive vaccines at a pharmacy rather than at a medical clinic, and pharmacists may not feel comfortable assessing risk factors for patients who may not arrive with medical documentation or who may not have a regular primary care provider and thus may lack a specific high-risk diagnosis despite truly having a high-risk medical condition. Only 37.5% of high-risk adults aged 60-74 years had received an RSV vaccine, based on data as of March 29, 2025, whereas 47% of adults aged 75 and older had received an RSV vaccine. A simple age-based recommendation lowers barriers to vaccination for high-risk groups.

We need updated 2025-2026 COVID vaccines of all FDA-approved and authorized types, including Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines as well as Novavax. All ages should have access to these vaccines at least twice a year. It’s essential that these vaccines should be made available earlier than in previous years, by July or August at the latest and prior to the start of K-12 schools in the fall. Influenza vaccines must be updated for fall 2025 and must be made available for all ages as well.

As a pathologist who specializes in cervical cancer screening, I urge you to strengthen the recommendation for HPV vaccination to encompass all ages that are covered by the current approval (through age 45), without the stipulation for “shared decision-making” for ages 27-45. People my age often missed the opportunity for vaccination due to the timing of release of the initial vaccines, and I am hearing that is often difficult for people in their late 20s through early 40s to get HPV vaccines covered by health insurance. HPV exposure is nearly universal, and there are still far too many children and adults who are not adequately protected against HPV-driven cancers, which can occur in the cervix, throat, anus, and penis.

Please also support development of safe and effective vaccines against CMV and appropriate vaccination recommendations, should such a vaccine be FDA approved within the near future. CMV is a common infection that can cause pregnancy loss, birth defects, and severe infections in immunocompromised people. CMV causes lifelong infection and can reactivate later in life when the immune system is weakened, such as during cancer treatment or bone marrow transplantation.

Thank you to this committee for your ongoing work in support of vaccination.

Sincerely,

Kaitlin Sundling, MD, PhD