Amid severe changes including the termination of over $9 billion in NIH grants and dismissal of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee (ACIP), hundreds of NIH scientists have issued the Bethesda Declaration demanding restoration of funding and peer-reviewed research. The unexpected firing of ACIP’s 17 members by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stirred debate over vaccine policymaking and transparency, complicating public health efforts during ongoing immunization discussions.