2025 has seen many changes in federal vaccine policy and programs. This list—published Sep 25, 2025, and drawn from news reports and other information—ranks the most significant changes to vaccination policy, with brief commentary from the editors.

Editors’ note: The last week has seen a chaotic advisory committee, a Congressional hearing that exposed the direction of vaccine policy, a federal report questioning vaccine safety, and the President calling into question key aspects of the vaccine schedule. It is hard to blame Americans who find themselves confused about what is happening. 

New and updated 

1. President Trump expounds on vaccines

At a press conference focused on autism on Monday, Sep. 22, President Trump called for additional exploration of a link between vaccines and autism, suggested waiting until children turned 12 to give them the hepatitis B vaccine, and advocated for splitting the MMR vaccine into separate parts. 

Specific quotations include:

• “You have a little child, a little fragile child, and you get a vat of 80 different vaccines, I guess 80 different blends, and they pump it in.”
• “To have families destroyed over this is just so, so terrible. I also, and we've already done this, we want no mercury in the vaccine. We want no aluminum in the vaccine. The MMR, I think, should be taken separately. This is based on what I feel. The mumps, measles, and… Or the three should be taken separately. And it seems to be that when you mix them, there could be a problem. So there's no downside in taking them separately. In fact, they think it's better, so let it be separate.”
• “[A]nd it's so important to me to see the doctor four times or five times for a vaccine. Don't let them pump your baby up with the largest pile of stuff you've ever seen in your life going into the delicate little body of a baby. Even if it's two years, three years, four years, you just break it up into, I would say, five, but let's say four, four visits to the doctor instead of one. And certain things I think you should do. We've already taken out and are in the process of taking out mercury and aluminum now. You know what mercury is, you know what aluminum is. Who the hell wants that pumped into a body? And there were rumors about both of them for a long time, but we're having them taken out. We're having them taken out of the vaccines.”
• “Now, it's possible that you can reduce them and give … I'd give them in small doses, but it's possible maybe in that particular case the MMR wouldn't work in small doses, but you can certainly give them the separate shots.”

Editors' note: We usually don't add individual comments that aren't policy to the Straight Shot, but we had to make an exception in this case, given the President's assertions without even the pretense of evidence and the significant potential for harm.

2. Chaos at the ACIP

The recent meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) exemplified the chaos of current US vaccine policy-making. Five members were added just days before the meeting; usually, candidates are vetted for months beforehand. Several lacked basic understanding of the committee’s function and appeared to be chosen on the basis of their positions on the Covid vaccine.

During the meeting, the comments of committee members revealed substantial confusion about some of the building blocks of vaccine access, including insurance coverage, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program, and the Medicaid program. Some of what we heard:

Editor's note: The ACIP meeting was poorly planned, poorly organized, and poorly executed. Thank you to Hannah Melchinger for tracking these comments. – SD 

3. ACIP makes Covid vaccine recommendations

ACIP voted that for those 65 and older, “vaccination is recommended based on individual clinical decisionmaking.” For those 6 months to 64 years old, the committee recommended “vaccination based on individual-based decisionmaking with an emphasis that the risk-benefit of vaccination is highest for those at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 and lowest for those who are not at increased risk (according to the CDC list of COVD-19 risk factors).” 

The committee clarified that these recommendations would be considered "shared-clinical decisionmaking," which would maintain mandatory insurance coverage. 

As of Sep. 25, this recommendation has not been adopted by CDC and HHS. 

Editor's note: The ACIP recommendation raises a possible challenge for an individual under age 65 without risk factors to be vaccinated. According to ACIP, this is an "individual-based decision." But according to the FDA label, only individuals with risk factors should be vaccinated. Typically, the CDC recommendations are narrower than the FDA label; in this case, the reverse is true. This discrepancy might create a problem in jurisdictions where pharmacists are limiting vaccination to the FDA label. – SD

4. ACIP blocks first dose of MMRV vaccine

There are two options for vaccination against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella. One involves getting a single combination vaccine for all four diseases (MMRV), while the other involves two shots at the same time: one for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and one for varicella. 

Due to a small increased risk of febrile seizures with the MMRV vaccine in young children, compared to MMR and varicella separately, since 2008, the ACIP has recommended that children younger than four receive the two-shot option. Approximately 15 percent of children nonetheless receive the single-shot MMRV for their first dose. Children receive a second dose at four to six years of age; MMRV is recommended by the CDC for that dose.

Citing this small increased risk of febrile seizures, ACIP voted to not recommend the combination vaccine for children younger than 4. Then, after initially voting not to change the recommendation that the VFC program purchase the vaccine, the committee removed the MMRV vaccine from the VFC for the dose given to children under 4 years old. 

Editor's note: This decision was not carefully considered; a key question is whether it is appropriate to trade off one fewer injection for a small increased risk of a febrile seizure, but the committee was not presented with a benefit-risk assessment of this question. Moreover, the implementation of this decision matters; if it affects the supply of measles vaccines because purchasing and distribution patterns are disrupted in the middle of a growing outbreak in some states, the consequences could be significant. – JR

5. ACIP defers a decision on the hepatitis B vaccine

ACIP debated a motion to recommend deferring the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine for a month for babies born to mothers who have tested negative for hepatitis B. However, the committee voted to table that motion after a number of members said they needed more information. 

The committee did vote to recommend that all pregnant women be screened for hepatitis B, which is already a clinical recommendation.

Editor's note: The strong endorsement of Secretary Kennedy and President Trump for ending the recommendation for the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine is a huge red flag about ACIP's direction. Experts are warning that such a move would leave thousands of babies at risk for chronic hepatitis B infection and its consequences, including cirrhosis and cancer. The change that ACIP debated could lead to hepatitis B infections through many routes, including: 1) if the initial screen test was actually a false negative; 2) pregnant people who test negative become infected later in their pregnancy, and 3) through exposure to household objects that have been exposed to hepatitis B – SD

6. Sole-source contract

On Sep. 12, the CDC announced the awarding of a sole-source contract to research a connection between vaccines and autism, despite the significant existing body of research showing that there is no association.

Editor’s note: At a time when the government is cutting funding for health care research, there was no justification for researching a question that has been settled by multiple large studies. – PL

7. Fired CDC Director testifies

On Sep. 17, Dr. Susan Monarez testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions about her dismissal from the agency. She described the reason for her firing as her refusal to endorse ACIP's policy recommendations regardless of what they were. She testified that Secretary Kennedy asserted "the childhood vaccine schedule would be changing starting in September, and I needed to be on board with it.” 

Editor's note: The reason for the chaos in US vaccine policy is now hiding in plain sight. Secretary Kennedy, who had a career as a vaccine critic prior to serving in his present role, is using his power to reduce access to vaccines. – PL

8. Vaccine skeptic David Geier can access data in the Vaccine Safety Datalink

We have previously noted the hiring of David Geier, a leading source of misinformation about vaccines, to investigate questions related to vaccine safety. The Wall Street Journal has reported on Geier’s attempts to gain access to various databases within HHS, including one that he had twice been precluded from using as a result of violating ethical rules. Geier's history has been discussed in previousversions of The Straight Shot. 

On Sep. 17, we learned that Geier has been given access to personally identifiable data from CDC’s Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), the same database that he was previously reprimanded for misusing. It is not clear what research studies he is pursuing with this database and what other data he may have been given access to. 

Editor's note: Nothing in Geier’s history gives confidence that research conducted by him will be conducted appropriately or rigorously. – JS

9. Draft MAHA strategy document again targets childhood vaccines

On May 22, as part of Secretary Kennedy’s focus on the rise of childhood chronic diseases, the White House issued the Make Our Children Healthy Again Assessment. One section of the report was dedicated to concerns regarding vaccines, questioning the expansion of the childhood immunization schedule, the adequacy of clinical trials, the effectiveness of safety monitoring, the integrity of the VICP, and the role of vaccine mandates. The report came under fire for including AI-generated inaccuracies and misrepresenting data.

HHS released a second “strategy” document on Sep. 9. The administration stated that it intends to “investigate vaccine injuries with improved data collection and analysis, including through a new vaccine injury research program at the NIH Clinical Center that may expand to centers around the country.” The document also discusses the development of a vaccine framework that includes “correcting conflicts of interest and misaligned science.” 

Editor’s note: The administration's focus on vaccines is not slowing down. Each of these steps will create new opportunities to affect access to products that are protecting millions of Americans. – PL

Ongoing

1. Potential changes to the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program

Secretary Kennedy posted on X on Jul. 28 that he is working with the Attorney General to “fix” the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), a longstanding effort that provides limited liability for vaccine manufacturers and administrators, thus reducing market barriers, as well as compensation for people who have been injured by vaccines.

He followed the post with an interview with Charlie Kirk, the Executive Director of Turning Point USA[1] , but failed to articulate any concrete steps he and HHS are taking to address the issues he identified. This is on the heels of Sec. Kennedy bringing Drew Downing, a lawyer with experience suing vaccine manufacturers, into HHS to work on the VICP. HHS has never stated specifically what Downing was brought on to accomplish. It is clear that Sec. Kennedy does have levers with regard to liability exposure that could indeed impede access to vaccines.

(No change from the previous update.)

Changes to the VICP have the potential to dramatically reduce access to vaccines. This will remain on the list until we know more. – JR

2. ACIP launches new investigations on vaccine safety

At their June meeting, the ACIP chair announced two new workgroups. The first aims to review the cumulative effects of the childhood and adolescent vaccination schedules. The second intends to examine vaccination recommendations that have not been reviewed in the past seven years, including the birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine–long a target of anti-vaccine organizations.

(No change from the previous update.)

Editor's note: The membership of these workgroups will be a signal as to whether their outcome has been predetermined, but they won’t be including liaisons from many major medical groups (see number 4 in New and Updated). – SD

3. HHS mismanages the measles response in the Southwest

As of Aug. 26, there have been 1,408 confirmed cases of the disease, including 176 hospitalizations and three deaths; this is the largest number of cases in a single year in the US in 33 years. California now has more cases in 2025 than in all of 2024. 

The outbreak in West Texas has ended in part because the virus sickened so many people it ran out of susceptible people to infect. The number of communities where people are undervaccinated has grown, meaning there are increasing pockets of susceptibility to additional outbreaks of measles. 

During the response to the West Texas outbreak, Sec. Kennedy made a number of misstatementsabout the safety of the measles vaccine, endorsing unproven treatments, and preventing experts from briefing the public. HHS also cut grant funds for the states' measles responses.

Editor's note: Already this year we have seen three measles-related deaths, including two in children. The combination of reduced support for immunization efforts, false information about vaccines coming out of HHS leadership, and a growing number of under-vaccinated communities means that the risk of additional measles outbreaks this year is actually going up, not down. This item will stay on our list until the outbreak ends or the US loses its measles-free status. – SD

4. HHS moves $500 million to study older vaccine technology favored by two appointees

As noted in the New and Updated item 1 above, HHS has permanently pulled $500 million from contracts for next-generation vaccines and is using the funds to study a type of “whole-virus" vaccine technology championed by two political appointees. “Whole-virus” vaccines are 70 years old and thought by many scientists to be less effective and cause more adverse effects than newer technologies. 

(No change from the previous update.)

Editor's note: This item, described in more detail in previous updates of the Straight Shot, will stay on our list until we learn more about this enormous investment of federal resources. – JS

5. HHS cuts funds for vaccination in states and for its own vaccine staff

A federal judge has ruled that the Administration cannot proceed—in certain states that sued—with billions in cuts to state public health funds. In the other states that did lose funding, some funds were used to support vaccination clinics; other funds were used for outbreak monitoring and response. Personnel cuts to CDC vaccine activities have remained in place. 

(No change from the previous update.)

Editor's note: This item, detailed in previous updates of The Straight Shot, stays on our list until the litigation is resolved. – JR

6. HHS and autism

On Apr. 10, Sec. Kennedy announced in a cabinet meeting that HHS has launched an effort to understand the causes of autism, with results expected in September. He has since amended that timeline, saying that there will be some information in September and “more definitive” information coming six months after that. On May 7, CMS and NIH announced that they will be sharing data in order to investigate the causes of autism. We're watching whether this effort will proceed in a scientifically rigorous manner, including whether it will attempt to point to vaccines as the cause of autism. On May 27, the NIH issued the funding opportunities for its Autism Science Data Initiative. 

At a cabinet meeting on Aug. 26, Secretary Kennedy stated that, “We will have announcements as promised in September, finding interventions, certain interventions, now that are clearly almost certainly causing autism. And we’re going to be able to address those in September.” 

Autism also came up at the press conference on Sep. 22. President Trump insinuated a link between autism and vaccines, saying, “And by the way, I think I can say that there are certain groups of people that don't take vaccines and don't take any pills that have no autism. That have no autism. Does that tell you something?”

Editor's note: We’ll keep this issue on the list as we anticipate this to be an active area given Secretary Kennedy’s focus on this topic. – PL

7. Sec. Kennedy attacks safety of aluminum adjuvants in vaccines

In an unusual blog post on TrialSiteNews, Secretary Kennedy took aim at a Danish study published in Annals of Internal Medicine that found no association between aluminum adjuvants in vaccines and various allergic and neurodevelopmental conditions. Aluminum adjuvants, used in many vaccines, improve vaccine efficacy by enhancing the immune response to the vaccine. He described the study as "a deceitful propaganda stunt by the pharmaceutical industry" that uses "deceptive devices" and an example of "garbage-in, garbage-out exercises in statistical manipulation." The author of the study responded to Sec. Kennedy’s attacks, writing "none of the critiques put forward by the Secretary is substantive."

These comments should be read in the context of the MAHA report alleging a potential connection between childhood vaccines and chronic diseases, and the new ACIP workgroup on the cumulative effects of the childhood vaccination schedule. 

(No change from the previous update.)

Editor's note: Sec. Kennedy has many ways to explore scientific concerns with a published scientific study beyond a slapdash blog piece on a hospitable website. He could have sought input from experts in pharmacoepidemology and vaccine safety. He could have asked the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to provide a review of the strengths and weaknesses of the methodology. Instead, he wrote a screed laden with insults that revealed a profound lack of understanding of epidemiological research. If HHS leaders have concluded aluminum adjuvants are unsafe, that may lead to policy changes with a profound impact on the availability of vaccines. – JR

Archived this week

1. The White House fires CDC Director after dispute on vaccines

On August 27, just a month after the Senate voted to confirm her, the White House fired Dr. Susan Monarez from her job as CDC director after she refused to resign and HHS Secretary Kennedy tried to dismiss her. She was reportedly fired for refusing to fire agency leaders without cause and for resisting a demand to rubber-stamp vaccine recommendations made without science to support them. 

The three key CDC leaders whom Dr. Monarez refused to fire without cause resigned from CDC. These leaders are Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, the Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Dr. Dan Jernigan, the Director for the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, which houses CDC’s Immunization Safety Office, and Dr. Deborah Houry, the Chief Medical Officer of CDC.

Editor's note: Aug. 27 will be a day of public health infamy–a day when the mask dropped and it became crystal clear that "gold standard science" or "radical transparency" have been pretexts for undermining vaccine policy. – SD

2. FDA approves Covid vaccines with restrictions

On Aug. 27, FDA approved Covid booster shots, manufactured by Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax, for the fall season. In contrast to previous years, when the FDA approval was for virtually everyone six months and older, this approval was limited to 1) those 65 and older and, 2) younger people with medical conditions that would put them at higher risk for severe disease. The limited label appears to directly conflict with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which call for all children ages 6 months to 2 years to receive a primary series, given their high rate of illness and hospitalization.

As part of the approval, FDA also imposed additional requirements on companies, based on a short statement from the director of FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), without external input or apparent internal policy development. These include studies of “post-Covid-19 vaccination syndrome,” which is not well defined, leaving one expert to say, "The risk really is that this post-vaccination syndrome becomes a catch-all label for any persistent symptoms after vaccination…We could end up with a diagnosis that doesn’t actually help patients get the right treatment.”

According to the Aug. 26, 2025 decision memo, CBER also rejected co-administration of Covid, flu, and RSV vaccines on the Pfizer Covid vaccine label in the absence of clinical trial data, claiming that co-administration could affect safety and efficacy of the vaccines. This policy could disrupt the childhood vaccination schedule by requiring multiple visits for routine immunization. 

Editor’s note: FDA leaders have justified its newly restrictive approvals for Covid vaccines using the fact that other countries have tailored recommendations for Covid vaccination. But those other countries generally tailor their recommendations for the administration of vaccines, not their approval of the products themselves. The FDA is breaking new ground in limiting the approval, complicating insurance coverage and access. – JR 

3. ACIP establishes a Covid vaccine working group

The Covid-19 ACIP working group was established in 2020 as a subgroup of the full ACIP. It has been recently revamped with updated terms of reference, which refer to various unproven theories of how vaccines may cause harm. It will be chaired by Retsef Levi, a new ACIP member whose pinned tweet states "the evidence is mounting and indisputable that MRNA vaccines cause serious harm including death, especially among young people. We have to stop giving them immediately!" Levi does not have a medical degree or clinical experience. 

Editor’s note: Medical and public health groups have been barred from participation on ACIP working groups because, according to a notice these groups received from CDC, they may bias the proceedings. Foreclosing the participation of leading public health and medical experts on this working group chaired by someone who has demonstrated a strong bias invalidates its legitimacy. – PL

4. Sec. Kennedy pushes West Virginia to loosen vaccination requirements

West Virginia, one of five states without nonmedical exemptions to school entry immunization requirements, has one of the highest kindergarten vaccination rates in the country. West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrissey has been pushing the state to allow nonmedical exemptions and on August 21, 2025, HHS bolstered that effort by sending the West Virginia health departments a letter warning that the state’s school entry requirements may violate federal civil rights laws. Yet previously, in the first Trump administration, the Department rejected requests to withhold federal funds from states that provide religious exemptions for vaccination. 

Editor’s note: Sec. Kennedy has long opposed state school entry immunization requirements, despite clear evidence that these rules have improved immunization rates and contributed to a decline of dangerous infectious diseases. This year we are seeing the return of dangerous childhood diseases such as measles and pertussis. These attacks on local policies will not improve the health of our children. – SD

5. HHS launches a federal task force on safer childhood vaccines

On August 15, Secretary Kennedy announced the re-establishment of a federal task force on vaccine safety that was called for in 1986 legislation that established the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) but has not formally been convened in years. Administration officials described the task force as a major step forward, with the NIH director stating,“By reinstating this Task Force, we are reaffirming our commitment to rigorous science, continuous improvement, and the trust of American families."

In fact, the 1986 legislation states that the task force consists of three members: "the Director of the National Institutes of Health, the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control." These agencies have long worked together to advance vaccine safety. An outstanding question is whether these leaders will be staffed by career officials with expertise in vaccine science or by recent hires who are biased against vaccines.

Editor’s note: It is simply not the case that current leadership is taking long overdue steps on vaccine safety. Major improvements on the topic have been made over decades of coordinated work. What distinguishes this administration is its rejection of evidence and expertise related to vaccine safety and its elevation of theories without basis. – JR

6. HHS is causing interruptions to vaccine access

On August 27, FDA invalidated the emergency use authorization for Pfizer's pediatric Covid vaccine, removing it from the market as the respiratory virus season begins. The action has complicated the delivery of vaccines for young children this fall. Key questions include (1) whether Moderna, which has its own pediatric vaccines, can meet demand; and (2) whether the Vaccines for Children program can purchase sufficient Moderna vaccine to meet demand in clinics serving low-income children. On August 22, the CDC issued a sole source contract to Moderna "to allow for the additional purchase of the licensed pediatric COVID vaccine." 

In some states, the pharmacies are not offering the vaccine at all, and, in others, they are requiring a physician prescription. The New York Times reported that when a news reporter "tried to schedule vaccine appointments in all 50 states, the Walgreens website said patients would need a prescription in 16 of them. Though there is some overlap, it’s not the same set of 16 as CVS, underscoring the level of confusion.

Editor's Note: This is just the beginning of the confusion, as the gap between the recommendations of leading medical organizations and the approach of HHS grows larger. – JS