Flu Season Warning: Navigating Vaccine Hesitancy and the ACIP Controversy

By Marsha Millonig, B.Pharm., M.B.A

Pharmacy organizations are currently in the middle of the fall immunization season amid the fireworks from the Trump administration. While annual immunization training has been assigned, and pharmacies have proactively set up flu clinics, much has remained unknown thanks to the actions of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. These actions may have major impact on people’s health, pharmacist-provided vaccines, and pharmacy profitably.

RFK Jr. is a long-time vaccine skeptic who has demonstrated anti-vaccine actions that have contributed to measles deaths in some world areas, most notably the 2019 measles outbreak in American Samoa. Samoan officials did not directly blame RFK Jr. for the 83 measles deaths, primarily among babies, but they strongly criticized the misinformation he provided during his visit to their territory, which they say contributed to the outbreak itself. Samoan officials have expressed surprise at President Trump’s nomination of RFK Jr. to lead the HHS and testified against his appointment during controversial confirmation hearings. RFK Jr.’s nomination was approved by one lone vote — by pharmacy friend and physician Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA). That vote commitment was made after Senator Cassidy extracted assurances from both the Trump administration and RFK Jr. that Kennedy would not dismantle the nation’s vaccine safety systems or take down government vaccine guidance. Additionally, Cassidy was told he would have input into some HHS and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) appointments. Whether the latter has borne out is not clear.

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Fast forward. A short four months from the January confirmation hearings, on June 9, 2025, RFK Jr. fired all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, known as the ACIP. In the press release announcing the decision, RFK Jr. said a “clean sweep” was needed to rebuild public confidence in U.S. vaccine policy. “Today we are prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda. The public must know that unbiased science — evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest — guides the recommendations of our health agencies.” Subsequently, during a hearing with the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), a pediatrician, grilled Kennedy, finally asking him if he broke his promise to Sen. Cassidy by firing all 17 ACIP members. RFK Jr. denied agreeing to not make changes to the ACIP.

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Don’t stop here. Read all of Marsha’s analysis to understand the full impact of the ACIP shake-up on pharmacy profitability and patient care this flu season. Plus, tips on how to have a conversation with patients to confidently address vaccine hesitancy and insights into what’s next for HHS and the future of U.S. immunization policy.