Please urge your members of Congress to support legislation that would protect the scientific process for vaccine recommendations and coverage. 

Background 

On June 9, 2025, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the scientific body responsible for advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine recommendations and coverage. In response, House Energy and Commerce Ranking Member, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06) and Rep. Kim Schrier M.D. (WA-08) introduced the Family Vaccine Protection Act, H.R. 3701, which would codify the role of ACIP in providing evidence-based vaccine recommendations and require the CDC Director and HHS Secretary adopt such recommendations. ACP has endorsed H.R. 3701 and written to Congress urging for passage of a bipartisan bill aligning with the Family Vaccine Protection Act to ensure the health and safety of the most vulnerable, including patients who are elderly, children, pregnant, and disabled.  

ACP is very concerned with the recent actions taken by Secretary Kennedy   on vaccines. Over the past several months he has fired and replaced all members of ACIP with new members who have publicly questioned the efficacy and safety of long-standing, credible vaccines. Further, Secretary Kennedy has canceled all National Institutes of Health research on mRNA vaccines and made unilateral changes to vaccine recommendations outside of any established scientific process, including limiting access to COVID-19 vaccines. These actions are interfering with the practice of evidence-based medicine.  

Congress must act to restore trust in the public health system. Urge your members of Congress to co-sponsor the Family Vaccine Protection Act, H.R. 3701, which would codify the role of ACIP in providing evidence-based recommendations on vaccine use, set a timeline for new vaccine consideration by ACIP and require that both the CDC Director and HHS Secretary adopt such recommendations, when supported by scientific evidence. 

Action Requested: Please email or call your members of Congress expressing the need for them to act on endorsing the Family Vaccine Protection Act, H.R. 3701, or a similar bipartisan bill that will protect evidence-based science and support public health. A sample email message and call script have been provided for you so that you can personalize.