Hot Topics for IPC for June 25, 2025: The Future of ACIP, Measles, and More

I hope everyone had a lovely week at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Annual Conference & Expo held in Phoenix, and safe travels back home! It was a treat to see so many familiar faces and meet new, amazing colleagues. Hopefully, our Arizona heat doesn’t deter you from future visits!

Pathogens and Politics

The future of Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is up in the air as the vaccine advisory group was disbanded by the US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, weeks ago, and recently partially filled with appointees who have raised serious concerns due to anti-vaccine views and lack of expertise. The panel is set to meet this week, but Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has pushed for the vote to be delayed.

Increasingly, public health officials are concerned about the future of US vaccines, not just in terms of recommendations for the public, but also about what this might mean for insurance coverage and overall public trust in public health agencies and their efforts.

As Katherine Wu, MD, noted, “Kennedy, who has for decades promoted the debunked notion that vaccines cause autism and has baselessly sown doubt over the ability of the US government to vet shots, said at his confirmation hearing in January. ‘I am neither. I am prosafety.’

“But for all Kennedy’s talk, this week, he did exactly what a person would do if they were trying to undermine the scientific consensus on vaccination in the United States. He abruptly dismissed the entire expert committee that advises the CDC on its nationwide vaccine recommendations—and began to fill the roster with like-minded people ready to cast doubt on the benefits of vaccination.”

Ultimately, ACIP is a critical resource for vaccine recommendations, which have significant trickle-down implications for access, schedules, and overall public health. Also, Susan Monarez, PhD, President Trump’s pick for CDC director, has her confirmation hearing on June 25 at 10 AM ET.

Contact Precautions and Patient Perspectives

In infection prevention, one of our biggest challenges is adherence to isolation precautions—not just in terms of compliance and ensuring timely implementation, but also in the impact on patient experience and care.

A new study has just been released regarding patient perspectives on contact precautions for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) across 2 hospitals. “A cross-sectional survey of 60 hospitalized patients on MRSA contact precautions found strong support (96%) for MRSA contact precautions. Most (72%) preferred policies requiring health care workers to always use contact precautions compared to other risk-tailored policies.” Moreover, the authors noted that the majority of patients support the use of MRSA contact precautions policies that require all healthcare workers to wear gloves and gowns in all situations. “Some patient support is seen for risk-tailored policies, but these policies are not necessarily preferred over the policy of all health care workers wearing contact precautions all the time when caring for patients with MRSA.”

Quick Highlights and Articles to Read:

• The Gates Foundation has committed $1.6 billion over the next 5 years to support Gavi on vaccine delivery and distribution.
• HN51 Updates: More cases detected in mammals and wild birds per USDA, with the latest update on dairy herds holding at 1,073 on June 5, 2025.
• This article regarding the measles outbreak.