President's Page: Defending Science and Protecting Vaccine Access August 26, 2025 From the President This summer, the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association (ACCMA) published an op-ed in the East Bay Times warning of the growing threat posed by the federal government's politicization of vaccine policy. Under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., we are witnessing a troubling shift: fringe theories are no longer confined to social media - they are now shaping national health policy. As physicians, we know that vaccines are one of the greatest public health achievements in modern medicine. From smallpox to polio to measles, immunizations have saved millions of lives and prevented untold suffering. But that legacy is now under threat. Since his confirmation, Secretary Kennedy has taken alarming steps: canceling scientific meetings, firing all 17 members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and replacing them with individuals lacking expertise in immunology and infectious disease. He has pushed forward decisions without public input or scientific review - most notably, a recommendation to eliminate thimerosal from flu vaccines, despite longstanding CDC guidance affirming its safety. And recently, Secretary Kennedy cancelled over $500 million in contracts to develop mRNA vaccines, which will delay development of this cutting-edge vaccine technology. These actions undermine the credibility of our institutions and inject political ideology into what should be apolitical, science-based processes. As vaccine confidence declines nationally, we are already seeing the consequences locally: rising vaccine hesitancy, declining childhood immunization rates, and renewed outbreaks of preventable diseases. In this moment, Alameda and Contra Costa counties must be vigilant. That's why ACCMA is urging local officials to continue investing in evidence-based public health, to resist misinformation, and to ensure our communities - especially our most vulnerable populations-remain protected. We also call on you, our physician members, to keep doing what you do best: serving as trusted voices in the exam room and in your communities. The stakes are high, but we have the tools, the knowledge, and the platform to make a difference. We must continue to speak with clarity and unity: Vaccines work. Science matters. And we will not stand by silently while either is dismantled. This issue's guest columnist is Doctor Robert Edelman, ACCMA Past President and co-author of the op-ed that was published in the East Bay Times.