WSMA President John Bramhall, MD, PhD, issued the following statement in response to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to remove all 17 members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices.
“Secretary Kennedy’s sudden firing of all 17 members of the CDC panel of advisors for immunization practices (ACIP) all but confirms the fears of the thousands of physicians and scientists that opposed his nomination that he would not respect scientific evidence and would use his office to continue his attacks on established medical approaches to disease prevention such as vaccination.
“This panel of dedicated scientists and physicians advises the CDC, which then makes official recommendations for childhood and adult vaccine schedules—critically important guidance for the American public’s access to protective immunizations, for the health professionals administering these vaccines, and for the safeguarding of communities from communicable disease.
“This decision follows on the heels of other concerning federal actions relating to health care, including the targeted removal of public health data. The WSMA joins our many health partners in Washington state and across the country in denouncing these ideologically driven actions that have dangerously weakened public trust in the guidance provided by our federal health institutions and undermined our ability as physicians and health professionals to provide the highest standard of care to our patients.”
For more information contact:
Graham Short
WSMA Director of Communications
gfs@wsma.org / 206.329.6851 cell/text
About the Washington State Medical Association
The Washington State Medical Association represents nearly 13,000 physicians, resident physicians, physician assistants, and medical students across all specialties and practice types in Washington state. The WSMA has advocated on behalf of the house of medicine for more than 125 years. Our vision is to make Washington state the best place to practice medicine and receive care.