“This is a real head scratcher,” said Dr. Joe Kanter, Louisiana State Health Officer during a conversation this week with WWL’s Newell Normand about a strange development related to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
That’s a group of medical and public health experts gathered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make formal recommendations regarding vaccinations. According to the CDC, it consists of 15 experts who are voting members and are responsible for making vaccine recommendations.
“Anyone that’s taking their kid to the pediatrician office is in some sense familiar with their work, because the vaccine schedule that that we all, you know, vaccinated our kids according to is a product of this ACIP committee,” Kanter explained. “It’s an incredibly important committee.”
However, STAT reported this week that it currently has eight vacancies, including one that has been open for more than a year. Another four vacancies are coming up, said the publication.
“I really don’t know why,” said Kanter. “From what I understand – what I’ve heard – the CDC has forwarded quite some time ago, [they’ve] nominated individuals to the larger department, to federal, HHS and HHS just hasn’t moved on it.”
This situation is particularly concerning since we are in an election year, Kanter added.
“Vaccine skepticism is, you know, one of the topics that’s become a campaign issue,” he said. “I would really like to see this committee get fully staffed with a chairperson and get on to its work, you know, well ahead of the election and any potential transition in government.”
Listen to Kanter’s full conversation with Normand here to learn more, and to get the latest on expected public health impacts from Mardi Gras season.