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Senators Question Ethics, Expertise After ACIP Shakeup; Nominee Says Ethics Vetting Should Precede Meetings
Summary
Senators pressed the nominee and the administration over the abrupt removal and replacement of members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and asked whether new appointees had completed required ethics vetting before voting on vaccine recommendations.
Senators from both parties raised concerns at the hearing about changes to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the federal panel whose recommendations guide vaccine use, insurance coverage and state vaccination rules.
Multiple senators cited Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to remove the existing 17 ACIP members and appoint new members as grounds for concern about the committee's expertise and whether ethics vetting had been completed before members met.
Senator Tammy Baldwin asked whether, if confirmed, Dr. Menares would ensure adequate staffing and review the status of the ACIP process after the firings. Senator Murray pressed the nominee directly: "Do you agree that any new ACIP members should have to go through a thorough ethics review process before meeting?" Dr. Menares replied, "The members of the ACIP do need to go through a thorough ethics review before they are allowed to participate in those critical meetings."
When asked whether recommendations made before ethics vetting should be accepted, Dr. Menares said she was not familiar with whether the participants in the current meeting had completed the required review and added, "If they have not gone through an ethics approval process, they shouldn't be participating in the meetings." She also said she would be an "active listener" and evaluate how committee members assessed complex scientific evidence.
Senators expressed alarm about specific presenters and appointees. Senator Murray flagged that Lynn Redwood of Children's Health Defense, characterized in the hearing as a vaccine critic, was scheduled to present on thimerosal. Murray said Redwood had cited a study that does not exist and asked whether it was acceptable for a presenter with a record of "made up sources" to appear; Dr. Menares replied she was not familiar with that person and said that ACIP is a public meeting where members should evaluate the veracity of public testimony.
Committee members warned that ACIP recommendations translate into coverage and access: Senator Blunt Rochester noted that routine childhood vaccines can cost up to about $1,200 per child without insurance and that changes to ACIP guidance affect whether insurers are required to cover vaccines. Dr. Menares said vaccines "absolutely save lives" and committed to prioritizing vaccine availability if confirmed.
Senators repeatedly asked whether appointees had conflicts of interest and whether any recommendations issued by a committee whose members had not completed ethics vetting should stand. Dr. Menares emphasized she would review the ACIP process and evaluate members' ability to analyze risk‑benefit evidence if confirmed.
The exchange underscored the committee's role in both technical vaccine assessment and in shaping insurance coverage and public access to vaccines, and senators signaled they expect the CDC director to enforce ethics vetting and defend evidence‑based recommendations.
