The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) concluded a two-day meeting at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. The committee is composed of medical and public health experts who provide guidance to the CDC on vaccines' safety, effectiveness, and necessity.
During the meeting held on June 25-26, 2025, ACIP made several key recommendations. They approved by a five-to-two vote one dose of clesrovimab for infants whose mothers are not protected by maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination. Clesrovimab is one of two available RSV monoclonal antibody products.
The committee unanimously voted to update the Vaccines for Children Program resolution for RSV prevention. They also reaffirmed their recommendation with a six-to-zero vote for routine annual influenza vaccinations for individuals over six months old without contraindications.
Additionally, ACIP recommended that children 18 years and younger receive seasonal influenza vaccines only in single-dose formulations free of thimerosal as a preservative by a five-to-one vote. Similar recommendations were made with identical voting results for pregnant women and all adults regarding seasonal influenza vaccines.
Recommendations from ACIP are reviewed by the CDC Director and may be published as official recommendations in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report if adopted. The CDC Director informs the Secretary of Health and Human Services about these immunization recommendations.
ACIP plans to hold its next meeting in the third quarter of 2025. At the conclusion of this week's meeting, ACIP members issued a statement emphasizing their commitment to honesty, transparency, and compassion in public health efforts. "Our central duty is to protect public health," they stated, stressing their support for evidence-based medicine involving rigorous evaluation and credible scientific data.
They highlighted the importance of providing scientifically correct information accessible to all stakeholders including healthcare providers, parents, schools, nursing homes, insurance providers, public health agencies, manufacturers, and those affected by interventions. Data collection was underscored as essential for evaluating vaccine side effects both short-term and long-term.
"We came to this meeting with no pre-determined ideas," they noted while committing to unbiased scientific thinking as fundamental to their role. They acknowledged that while their votes are recommendations rather than mandates, they take their responsibility seriously: "We pledge not to hold a vote if there is not sufficient information."
The committee expressed unity against infectious diseases rather than competition among other entities: "We will work together to ensure the best outcomes for public health."
