Top 5 Most-Read Vaccine Content in 2025

In 2025, several developments converged to shake public and professional confidence in US vaccination policy. Advisory panels were overhauled, former leaders sounded alarms, lawsuits emerged, and new guidelines were poised to overturn long‑standing childhood immunization practices. Together, these stories illustrate a year in which vaccine policy, committee composition, and guidance faced unprecedented challenges. Public health decision-making, once seen as a stable and evidence-based process, has become a subject of intense scrutiny, legal dispute, and regional adaptation, raising questions about the long-term effects on vaccine confidence and national immunization programs.

Here are the top 5 most-read vaccine articles in 2025.

5. Former CDC Director Raises Alarm on Childhood Vaccine Schedule Changes

In September, Susan Monarez, PhD, former CDC director, testified before a Senate committee, expressing concern about proposed revisions to the childhood vaccine schedule. Monarez noted that longstanding scientific review had been bypassed and that the changes lacked supporting evidence. This testimony highlighted fears that decisions about vaccines for children—including hepatitis B, measles, chickenpox, and COVID-19—were being influenced by political considerations rather than established science. The article underscores the importance of maintaining transparency and integrity in public health decision‑making.

Read the full article.

4. CDC Vaccine Panel Meets for First Time After RFK Jr Expelled Former Members

In June, following the removal of all 17 previous members by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the newly formed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) held its first meeting. The shakeup prompted concern among clinicians and public health advocates, as the new panel included members with known skepticism toward vaccines. The first meeting aimed to “restore public trust,” but observers questioned whether the panel could maintain credibility and uphold scientific rigor in recommending vaccines.

Read the full article.

3. West Coast Health Alliance Releases First Vaccine Guidelines Aiming to Replace CDC Recommendations

In response to uncertainty around federal guidance, the newly formed West Coast Health Alliance issued its first set of vaccine guidelines in September ahead of the 2025-2026 winter season. Designed to serve as an alternative to CDC recommendations, these guidelines signaled a regional shift in public health leadership. This article highlights the growing fragmentation in vaccine guidance, raising questions about consistency in vaccination schedules and potential implications for health care providers and parents.

Read the full article.

2. RFK Jr Sued by Medical Societies Over Unlawful COVID-19 Vaccine Rollbacks

In July, several medical societies filed lawsuits against Kennedy, challenging recent rollbacks of COVID‑19 vaccine guidance. The lawsuits alleged that policy changes had been made without adequate scientific justification and contravened established public health standards. The article illustrates how legal accountability can be used as a mechanism to counter rapid or unilateral policy shifts and reinforces the stakes involved when vaccine recommendations are altered.

Read the full article.

1. Vaccine Skeptics Among CDC Vaccine Panel Replacements Named by RFK Jr

The most‑read vaccine story on AJMC.com this year focused on the individuals appointed to the ACIP in June following the expulsion of prior members. Several new members had previously expressed skepticism toward vaccines, raising concerns about the future of US immunization policy. The viewpoints described in the article reflect the anxiety surrounding who now sets the national agenda for vaccines and how this could impact childhood and adult immunizations, as well as public trust in federal guidance.

Read the full article.