Kennedy leaves US vaccine committee empty, delaying coverage for new shots

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) currently has no members, a vacuum that is preventing insurers from covering newly approved vaccines. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced the committee's original experts with allies, but a federal judge ordered the changes halted because they followed the wrong procedure. Kennedy has not nominated new members since the ruling.

The lack of a functioning committee means no new vaccine recommendations are emerging. This administrative gap is creating immediate financial hurdles for patients. Ron Kroening, a 63-year-old retiree with asthma, sought Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration approved that shot in August for adults 50 and older. Trials indicate it provides stronger protection than traditional flu shots.

Kroening found the vaccine at a single local pharmacy. His insurer denied the claim because the shot is not listed in the ACIP guidelines. He paid a $40 co-pay out of pocket. While insurers often take a year or more to add coverage for new vaccines, the timing is unclear now. Insurers typically have one year from an ACIP recommendation to cover a vaccine by the next plan year. A recommendation in December 2026 would trigger coverage in January 2028. A delay until January 2027 would push coverage to January 2029.

Lindsay Wiley, a law professor at UCLA, noted that the legal requirement for coverage does not activate quickly. She described a recommendation next year as the best-case scenario for the new flu shot. However, she said there is no reason to expect one soon. Only COVID vaccines are exempt from this wait. Congress amended the Affordable Care Act to require coverage for those shots within 15 days of an ACIP recommendation.

The empty committee also affects state regulations. Some states prohibit pharmacists from administering vaccines without an ACIP recommendation. Previous committee decisions are also in limbo. A September 2025 recommendation on RSV shots was halted, though insurers appear to be covering those doses anyway. A voided vote to end the universal hepatitis B birth dose is influencing potential state laws. Medicare coverage for new senior flu shots has also been delayed despite legal requirements.

The government appealed the part of the ruling that disbanded the committee. Aaron Siri, a lawyer for Kennedy, wrote on Monday that the White House and the Department of Justice are not making a serious effort to revive the body. Dorit Reiss, a vaccines expert at UC Law San Francisco, agreed that the federal government is choosing not to install a new ACIP. She suggested the empty committee may suit Kennedy, whose appointees did not move as quickly as he wanted to change the schedule.

Kroening's insurer belongs to AHIP, an industry group that vowed to keep covering all shots recommended as of September 2025. Kroening said he would still pick the new vaccine and is glad he paid for it. He remains unhappy that insurance did not cover the cost. "It's a mess right now, what they're doing with our vaccines," he said.