4 months ago

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Jul-05-2025
Recently, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced its entire membership with new picks.
In this episode, I’m sitting down with two new ACIP members, Dr. Robert Malone and MIT professor Retsef Levi, for a deep dive into all things ACIP.

“They basically impact billions of dollars of revenue for the pharmaceutical industry. So there’s big money at stake here. There’s big policy at stake,” says Malone.

“One of the problems that we had in the context of vaccines, and more broadly maybe pharmaceutical products, is that debate was considered confusing to patients and something that we should avoid,” says Levi.
We take a look at some key discussions during the recent meeting, from thimerosal in certain flu vaccines to RSV shots for children, and what may happen with this committee moving forward.

“What you’re seeing here is a firm commitment on the part of these two volunteers, and I think the committee as a whole, in trying to be open and transparent to the general public,” Malone says.

CHAPTER TITLES
0:00:00 - Introduction to ACIP and New Committee Members
0:09:09 - Understanding ACIP's Role and Influence
0:09:59 - Retsef Levi's Background and Approach to Public Health
0:13:11 - Robert Malone's Background
0:18:16 - The Importance of Open Debate in Medical Decision-Making
0:22:01 - Patient Empowerment and Personalized Healthcare
0:28:06 - Challenges in Public Health Data Analysis
0:31:03 - Influenza Vaccines and Thimerosal Removal
0:40:57 - Mercury Exposure and Vaccine Safety Concerns
0:47:10 - Immunotoxicity and Long-Term Vaccine Effects
0:55:07 - Efficacy vs. Harm: Data Collection Challenges
1:11:46 - RSV Shot Debate: Nuanced Perspectives
1:34:02 - Risk-Benefit Analysis for Infant Vaccination
1:37:46 - Closing Thoughts on ACIP's Future and Mission