The House of Pod The Revenge Tour: Inside the New ACIP
22 snips
Feb 17, 2026 
Jessica Malaty Rivera, infectious disease epidemiologist and public health communicator. Dr. Angela Rasmussen, virologist and vaccine policy analyst. They discuss the sudden ACIP shakeup, controversial appointees, behind-the-scenes procedural chaos, claims of political retaliation at the FDA, and plans for live, watchdog-style coverage of vaccine policy meetings.
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Problematic Leaders Reshape Committee Culture
- New ACIP leadership includes figures like Kirk Milhone, Robert Malone, and Martin Kulldorff with controversial track records and fringe views.
- These appointments shift committee culture toward ideological positions that challenge mainstream vaccine science.
Small Voices Struggle Against Procedural Collapse
- A few competent members like Cody Meissner and Joseph Hibble push back, but they are outnumbered by less experienced or ideological members.
- The previous standardized ETR (evidence-to-recommendation) process is being ignored, harming deliberation quality.
FDA Gatekeeping Threatens Vaccine Access
- FDA actions (e.g., Vinay Prasad withholding Moderna review) can have greater real-world impact than ACIP dysfunction.
- Regulatory gatekeeping now risks blocking vaccine availability regardless of ACIP debates.
