U.S. Vaccine Advisory Committee Meeting Canceled Amid Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Immunization Rules
epa12390153 ACIP board members listen during a meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Chamblee Campus of the US Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Chamblee, Georgia, USA, 19 September 2025. The committee holds its two-day meeting for the first time since the ouster of CDC Director Susan Monarez by US Health & Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER
By Sam Barron | Thursday, 19 February 2026 04:21 PM EST
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory committee meeting has been canceled, according to an HHS spokesman. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which provides recommendations on vaccines, was scheduled to meet from February 25–27 but no Federal Register notice was issued and the CDC did not post an agenda. A new date for the meeting has yet to be set.
HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon stated: “We will not hold the ACIP meeting later this month. Further information will be shared as available.”
The committee’s recommendations impact U.S. health insurance coverage, state policies on school vaccines, and physician advice for parents and patients. Typically meeting three times annually, ACIP was disbanded in June 2025 when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members. At its December 2025 meeting, ACIP voted to remove the recommendation that all U.S. newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical organizations have sued to halt the new vaccine schedule, arguing it is illegal and lacks evidence-based support. The lawsuit seeks to replace the Kennedy-appointed committee and overturn its decisions. Multiple states and medical groups, including the AAP, have developed alternative vaccination guidelines.
Wednesday’s announcement revealed that National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya will serve as acting CDC director, while Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, who also acts as CDC director, is leaving both roles amid a broader HHS leadership overhaul and will be assigned to a different position within the Trump administration.
California has announced it is preparing a lawsuit challenging recent federal changes to U.S. childhood vaccination recommendations made by the Trump administration. State Attorney General Rob Bonta noted that the state’s legal action would add pressure on the administration, as medical groups and public health experts warn the changes could reduce vaccination rates.
