AAFP Update on Recent Court Decision Affecting ACIP 

On Monday, March 16, a federal court issued a preliminary ruling in a lawsuit challenging recent actions by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The court paused the appointments of most current ACIP members and temporarily blocked implementation of recent ACIP recommendations, including the January overhaul of the childhood immunization schedule. While the court did not explicitly ban ACIP from meeting, its decision prevents the committee from meeting as planned in March. HHS must also follow ACIP recommendations made before May 2025 until the court issues a final decision. 

 

What could happen next: 

• HHS may try to appeal the court's ruling, but this is unlikely to happen this week (it could happen before ACIP's next meeting, set for June 24-26).   
• If the court's decision remains in place, ACIP may be unable to meet unless new members are appointed under existing federal requirements, which could take several months or more.  

How the ruling impacts family physicians: 

• ACIP recommendations are statutory minimum insurance coverage requirements. This ruling ensures that all ACIP recommendations in effect as of April 2025 remain covered by private insurers, CMS, and the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program. 
• Family physicians should reference the AAFP's Immunization Schedules to guide immunization recommendations.