It is a challenging time to be a practicing clinician in the United States, especially if you believe in public health policy that is grounded in science and centered on the well-being of the population.
This week brought yet another seismic shift: the dismissal of all 17 expert members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the independent body that has long guided national vaccine recommendations. Today new appointees to the ACIP advisory were announced. Alarmingly many of the individuals on the incoming list lack the expertise to advise on vaccines and are also notorious anti-vaccine campaigners and individuals who promoted unproven therapies during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is only the latest in a disturbing series of decisions announced by the new leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Among them:
The consequences are already tragic: the United States is now experiencing its worst measles outbreak in 30 years, with three confirmed deaths, including two children. Just this year, two unvaccinated children in Kentucky died from pertussis another vaccine-preventable disease. These assaults on evidence-based medicine, particularly vaccines, the most impactful biomedical innovation of the past century, are not isolated incidents. They are being legitimized and enacted at the highest levels of government. And the consequences won’t stop at our borders. The United States has long served as a leader in global medical standards. When our public institutions undermine science, that skepticism doesn’t stay contained. It spreads eroding trust in vaccines worldwide, emboldening disinformation networks, and jeopardizing the hard-fought progress we've made toward global immunization equity.
So where does that leave those of us who still believe in science, truth, and the moral imperative to protect the most vulnerable? As medical practitioners, we take an oath to do no harm and to act in the best interests of our patients, guided by integrity, evidence, and ethics. In this moment, that means showing up even harder. In every patient encounter whether in the hospital, the exam room, or the urgent care center, we must meet fear with facts and confusion with clarity. These are still sacred spaces, where trust can be built, where lives can be protected, and where we can help our patients navigate a disorienting information landscape with empathy and truth.
In my own clinical practice, I’ve shifted how I work because the stakes are simply too high. In the clinic, I don’t wait for the topic of vaccines to come up I raise it, every time. I ask questions. I listen. I provide answers grounded in data and delivered with compassion. In the hospital, when I see a consult, I now routinely check immunization status and offer vaccines before discharge if a patient is eligible. Every point of contact is an opportunity to protect someone from preventable illness.
Here’s what that looks like in action:
– I offer vaccines at every visit, not just during flu season or back-to-school checkups.
– I open conversations proactively, because I know the silence is being filled by misinformation.
– I share trusted, accessible resources that help patients make informed choices.
– I leverage social media to amplify accurate vaccine information and remind people of what’s at stake.
– I speak to my community, especially the most vulnerable, those most likely to bear the brunt of this anti-science tide.
Despite the noise, the fear, and the politics, here’s what I know: most people still want vaccines. They understand the value. They just need reassurance, clarity, and guidance. We owe it to them to engage, especially now.
We all know that the ongoing erosion of public health infrastructure won’t stop at immunization guidelines. It threatens to destabilize our entire healthcare system one falsehood, one policy, one press conference at a time. But clinicians still hold tremendous power: the power of trust, of relationship, of truth-telling in the room where fear speaks the loudest.
If you’re a clinician feeling discouraged, I see you and I urge you: please don’t disengage. Double down. Speak up. Be that trusted voice in your patient’s life and in your community. Reclaim your role as a science communicator, a public health advocate, and a source of truth. Rising to meet this moment may be the greatest test of the oath we all took: to do no harm and to protect those we serve. We may not be able to stop every dangerous policy, but we can build resilience at the ground level with our words, our presence, and our refusal to be silent.
It pains me to say this but right now, many of the official messages on vaccines coming from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can no longer be trusted. That’s not a statement I make lightly.
In this moment, it’s more important than ever to lean on healthcare providers you trust. Ask questions. Start conversations. And importantly, familiarize yourself with credible, science-based sources for vaccine guidance because your health decisions should be grounded in truth, not politics.
Here are trusted international sources you can rely on for up-to-date vaccine information:
🌍 World Health Organization (WHO)
Routine Immunization Summary Tables🇨🇦 Canada’s Immunization Guide
Canadian Immunization Guide🇪🇺 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
EU Vaccination Schedules🇬🇧 United Kingdom NHS Immunization Schedule
UK Routine Immunisation Schedule
Until sanity returns to U.S. public health leadership, these are some of the most reliable, transparent, and globally respected sources of vaccine guidance available. You deserve the truth. You deserve protection. And you deserve to be empowered with real information.
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