U.S. — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The committee has not been lawfully reconstituted or convened ahead of the 2026-2027 respiratory virus season.

A federal district court in Massachusetts stayed the appointments of 13 ACIP members in the case American Academy of Pediatrics et al. v. Kennedy et al. No season-specific federal recommendation for influenza vaccination has been issued for the upcoming season. ACIP, which held its first meeting in 1964, has maintained a universal annual recommendation for influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months and older since 2010.

Secretary Kennedy issued a new charter refocusing the responsibilities of the committee. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends annual influenza vaccination for all children from 6 months of age. America's Health Insurance Plans renewed its members' commitment to ongoing coverage of vaccines for the current respiratory virus season.

The Affordable Care Act requires commercial health plans to cover immunizations with cost sharing if an ACIP recommendation is in effect. Medicare Part B coverage for influenza vaccines for older adults is statutorily required and does not rely on ACIP recommendations. The Vaccines for Children program supplies federally purchased vaccines to Medicaid-eligible, uninsured, and underinsured children through age 18.

In October 2024, ACIP adopted Resolution No. 10/24-1, which maintains operational legitimacy for the Vaccines for Children program because its language is agnostic to any particular season or strain. The Inflation Reduction Act requires traditional Medicaid programs to cover FDA-approved adult vaccines recommended by ACIP without cost sharing. Guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services specifies that Medicaid coverage must align with ACIP recommendations.

Many states authorize pharmacists to administer vaccines by referencing ACIP recommendations or CDC immunization schedules. The Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act authorizes pharmacists in all 50 states to administer seasonal influenza vaccines to individuals ages 3 and older, preempting more restrictive state laws. The act is extended through 2029, though authority for pharmacists to administer vaccines under it is limited according to CDC and ACIP standard immunization schedules.

The HHS secretary retains the authority to restore a functioning ACIP by appointing qualified new members or designating ex officio members as voting members if a quorum is unavailable.