IMA Calls for a Complete Overhaul of Vaccine Board Appointment Process to Promote Transparency & Science-Based Focus

“This new board needs to be motive-pure, science-driven, and patient-centered. All conflicts of interest must be weeded out of the process.” – Dr. Joseph Varon

(Washington DC) – The Independent Medical Alliance called on HHS to enact wholesale change in how the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) members are chosen, enacting complete transparency and disqualifying any applicant who holds deep ties to big pharma.

“This new board needs to be motive-pure, science-driven, and patient-centered,” said Dr. Joseph Varon, IMA President and Chief Medical Officer. “All conflicts of interest must be weeded out of the process. Money can no longer control the ACIP. Those with deep ties to the pharmaceutical industry should be automatically disqualified. Instead, there needs to be strong representation from independent doctors and researchers, not those who owe their paychecks to the medical establishment.”

On Monday, the Independent Medical Alliance praised the decisive action by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to overhaul the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), calling it a long-overdue move that puts the nation on a path toward a healthier, more transparent future.

“Secretary Kennedy’s restructuring of ACIP sends a clear message: it’s time for evidence-based, unbiased medical leadership to guide this nation’s health policies,” said Dr. Joseph Varon, President and Chief Medical Officer of IMA. “For too long, families across America have been subject to mandates and recommendations shaped by financial conflicts of interest and political pressure rather than sound medical science. That era is ending.”

“This is not just a bureaucratic shuffle,” said David Mansdoerfer, Senior Advisor for IMA. “It’s a transformational moment. By re-centering the nation's top immunization advisory body around data-driven, patient-focused expertise, Secretary Kennedy is restoring confidence in our public health system and ensuring that decisions are made with the American people, not pharmaceutical companies, in mind.”

The IMA believes the restructuring of the ACIP is a seminal moment in America’s healthcare agency and presents an opportunity to rebuild trust in public health institutions.

“The new ACIP must ensure that committee members prioritize patient safety and scientific integrity. All vaccine recommendations must be grounded in transparent, rigorous, and impartial scientific evidence,” added Varon.

About Dr. Joseph Varon

Dr. Joseph Varon is one of the nation’s foremost doctors and gained fame during the pandemic for spending 715 consecutive days in full protective gear, fighting COVID-19 cases as the Chief Medical Officer in charge of the ICU at Houston’s United Memorial Medical Center. Dr. Varon’s unit had the best survival rates in the country.

About the Independent Medical Alliance (IMA)

The Independent Medical Alliance™ is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization and coalition of physicians, scientists, and other healthcare professionals united by a mission to restore trust and transparency in healthcare. The organization’s mission is driven by Honest Medicine™, prioritizing patients above profits and emphasizing long-term wellness and disease prevention by empowering both physicians and their patients. With a focus on evidence-based medicine, informed consent, and systemic reform, IMA is driving a movement to create a more compassionate and effective healthcare system. IMA and IMA Action, the 501(c)(4) advocacy arm of IMA, were a powerful presence during the RFK Jr. confirmation hearings, mobilizing grassroots activists in Washington, D.C., and nationwide.

Contact Lynne@imahealth.org.