On December 2, 2025, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that Dr. Kirk Milhoan will replace Martin Kulldorff as the chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a committee under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The ACIP is responsible for providing expert opinions and recommendations to the CDC on the use of vaccines in the civilian population in the United States, including determining vaccination schedules, age groups, and dosages.
Milhoan, who is a pediatric cardiologist, was appointed to the committee in September last year. He has previously attributed cardiovascular diseases to vaccine administration. Later this week, he will preside over an ACIP meeting to discuss childhood vaccination programs and newborn hepatitis B vaccination matters.
Milhoan runs a medical missionary organization called “For Hearts and Souls” with his wife.
At a congressional hearing in 2024, Milhoan stated that vaccine administration is a leading cause of increased cardiovascular disease rates among teenagers and young adults.
The ACIP is scheduled to convene meetings in Atlanta on Thursday and Friday to vote on whether to change recommendations for newborn hepatitis B vaccination and whether the hepatitis B vaccine causes severe liver infections. The current proposal suggests that newborns should receive the first dose of the vaccine within 24 hours of birth.
Former anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the current US Secretary of Health and Human Services. He dissolved the original 17-member ACIP group upon taking office and appointed several anti-vaccine individuals to the new group, with Kulldorff as the chair.
Kulldorff, a Swedish-born biostatistician and co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, became a controversial figure for decisions made by the group during his tenure. Some decisions, such as the removal of thimerosal, a preservative, from the flu vaccine in June, sparked backlash despite lack of evidence of harm.
In September, the group suggested new restrictions on a combined vaccine for chickenpox, measles, mumps, and rubella, leading to discussions on delaying initial vaccinations, although ultimately no vote was taken. While some pediatric and infectious disease experts argue for the safety and efficacy of vaccines, and their role in significantly reducing infant infection rates, the committee did not reach a decision.
Furthermore, the group decided not to recommend COVID-19 vaccinations, even for high-risk groups like the elderly, leaving the decision to individuals.
Kulldorff is set to become the Chief Scientific Officer of the Office of Planning and Evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services. Officials describe this office as the “internal think tank” of the department. In a statement released by the HHS, Kulldorff expressed his enthusiasm to contribute to science-based public health policies and help restore health to America.
(Adapted from an Associated Press report)