17 Organizations Urge Congress to Confront RFK Jr.’s Attacks on Established Vaccine Science

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, July 2, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today, a coalition of 17 leading public health and civil rights organizations—led by the Health Equity Collaborative—sent a letter to leaders in the House and Senate calling on Congress to investigate and respond to the recent vaccine policy decisions by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The letter emphasizes his unprecedented removal and replacement of the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an advisory committee that makes recommendations on the safety, efficacy, and clinical need for vaccines to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It also highlights how this decision erodes science-based vaccine recommendations, increases misinformation, and jeopardizes access to life-saving vaccines.

The letter outlines clear priorities for congressional action:

1. Restore scientific integrity to ACIP by reversing the removal of independent experts and ensuring future appointments reflect evidence-based standards.
2. Enshrine ACIP’s advisory role through legislation, which would safeguard the committee from political interference.
3. Counteract vaccine misinformation by allocating resources to public education campaigns focused on historically marginalized communities.
Secretary Kennedy removed all 17 ACIP members on June 9, 2025, citing alleged conflicts of interest. Within 24 hours, he replaced them with eight new appointees, some of whom were linked to past vaccine skepticism or misinformation campaigns. There are currently seven members of the ACIP board as one of the new appointees, Dr. Michael Ross, M.D., withdrew from ACIP during the financial holdings review that is required of members before they can start work on the committee.

“The recent dismantling and politically motivated restructuring of the ACIP committee is a profound disservice to public health, especially for our communities who already face significant barriers to equitable healthcare access and often rely on clear, trusted guidance,” said Amy Hinojosa, President and CEO of MANA, A National Latina Organization and founding member of the Health Equity Collaborative. “To replace seasoned scientific experts with individuals who amplify misinformation undermines the very foundation of evidence-based medicine and will sow dangerous seeds of mistrust. Our families deserve science, not ideology, when it comes to protecting their health and the health of our children.”

Organizations signing the letter include:
• Health Equity Collaborative
• ALLvanza
• Alliance for Aging Research
• ASPIRA Association, Inc
• Association of University Centers on Disabilities
• Choose Healthy Life
• Debbie’s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer
• HealthHIV
• Latino Commission on AIDS
• MANA, A National Latina Organization
• National Consumers League
• National Disability Rights Network
• Partnership for Innovation and Empowerment
• South Asian Public Health Association
• Southern Christian Leadership Global Policy Initiative
• The Balm in Gilead, Inc
• The Hispanic Institute

A full copy of the letter is available here.

To learn more about the Health Equity Collaborative, please visit healthequitycollaborative.org.

Amy Hinojosa
Health Equity Collaborative
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