Pandora Report 6.13.2025

This week’s Pandora Report covers the dismissal of the entirety of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, RFK Jr.’s new appointees to that committee, the arrest of another PRC national accused of attempting to smuggle unauthorized biological materials to the University of Michigan, and more.

Secretary Kennedy Dismisses All ACIP Members, Appoints Eight New Members

On Monday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the entire 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in a move he describes as one “to restore public trust in vaccines.” This came just one week after announcing his department changed the vaccine schedule without ACIP’s input. This body advises the CDC on the vaccine schedule and required coverage of immunizations.

Kennedy claimed that many of the panel’s members were “last-minute appointees” of the previous administration, and that “Without removing the current members, the current Trump administration would not have been able to appoint a majority of new members until 2028.” He further argued that the group was rife with conflicts of interest, despite ACIP recently publishing details on its members’ conflicts and disclosures from 2000-2024 and when these members abstained from votes where potential conflicts of interest did exist.

During his confirmation hearing, Kennedy pledged to Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and current chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, that he would consult with him on filling key roles on vaccine advisory boards. He also promised the senator he would not make changes to ACIP, as revealed by Cassidy in a February speech.

Sen. Cassidy posted his response to Kennedy’s sudden action on X, writing “Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion. I’ve just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I’ll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case.”

Kennedy said on Tuesday, just before announcing who he later appointed to ACIP, “We’re going to bring great people onto the ACIP panel – not anti-vaxxers – bringing people on who are credentialed scientists.” His picks include:

1. H. Cody Meissner, MD, FAAP-Professor of Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine and Head of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Service at Tufts Medical Center; former ACIP Member
2. Martin Kulldorff, PhD-Former Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School from 2003 until his dismissal in 2024; co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, which claimed shutdowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic caused irreparable damage and that other public health measures were harmful
3. Vicky Pebsworth, PhD, RN-Regional Director for the National Association of Catholic Nurses; board member and volunteer director for the National Vaccine Information Center, a widely-criticized group infamous for spreading vaccine misinformation
4. Robert Malone, MD-former mRNA researcher, close adviser to Kennedy who runs a wellness institute and blog, and rose to prominence for sharing false claims about COVID-19 on programs like “The Joe Rogan Experience”
5. James Hibbeln, MD-a psychiatrist who formerly led an NIH group that focused on nutritional neurosciences, including intake of Omega-3 and other fatty acids
6. Restef Levi, PhD-Professor, Operations Management at MIT who, in 2023, called for the end of the COVID-19 vaccination program, writing “The evidence is mounting and indisputable that MRNA vaccines cause serious harm including death, especially among young people. We have to stop giving them immediately!”
7. James Pagano, MD-an emergency medicine physician in the Los Angeles area
8. Michael Ross, MD-an OBGYN who formerly served on a CDC breast and cervical cancer advisory committee; described in his bio as “…a serial CEO and physician leader with over 35 years of executive experience in leading private healthcare and life science companies.”

Voting ACIP members are supposed to possess clinical or scientific expertise regarding immunization, except for one lay member who can serve as a consumer representative. According to CDC, “This position is held by a technically qualified person knowledgeable about consumer perspectives and/or social and community aspects of immunization programs.”

The ACIP is set to convene its next meeting June 25-27, in Atlanta, GA.

Further Reading:

• “RFK Jr.: HHS Moves to Restore Public Trust in Vaccines,” Robert F. Kennedy Jr., The Wall Street Journal
• “Firing of CDC’s Vaccine Advisers Puts Spotlight on RFJ Jr.’s Promises to Cassidy,” Chelsea Cirruzzo and Alex Hogan, STAT News
• “A Closer Look at the New Members of the CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel,” STAT Staff, STAT News
• “Two of Kennedy’s New ACIP Picks Were Paid Expert Witnesses in Merck Vaccine Case,” Tristan Manalac, BioSpace
• “Outed CDC Vaccine Adivser Says RFK Jr.’s Message is Clear: ‘Scientific Expertise is No Longer of Use,'” Helen Branswell, STAT News
• “Colorado Doctor Fired by RFK Jr. from Federal Vaccine Committee: “This Decision is Really Going to Undermine Public Trust,”‘ John Ingold, The Colorado Sun

Organization Statements:

• American Academy of Family Physicians: “AAFP Responds to Removal of Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Members”
• American Academy of Pediatrics: “AAP ‘Deeply Troubled and Alarmed’ by Ousting of CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee”
• American Academy of Physician Associates: “Statement from AAPA on Removal of CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Members”
• American College Health Association: “Statement on the Changes to CDC ACIP”
• American Association of Nurse Practitioners: “National Nursing Organizations Express Concern Over Dismissal of ACIP Representatives”
• American College of Physicians: “American College of Physicians Highly Concerned About Dismissal of Vaccine Experts from ACIP”
• American Medical Association: “AMA Statement on Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices”
• American Pharmacists Association: “APhA Alarmed by Elimination of ACIP Voting Membership”
• American Public Health Association: “Trump Administration Attempts Coup of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices”
• Biotechnology Innovation Organization: “BIO Statement on HHS Dismissal of CDC Advisory Committee Members”
• California Immunization Coalition: “Response to HHS Secretary Kennedy’s Removal of ACIP Members”
• Infectious Diseases Society of America: “Statement on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices”
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners: “Official Statement Regarding Changes to ACIP”
• National Foundation for Infectious Diseases: “NFID Statement on the Importance of Federal Advisory Committees in Protecting Public Health”
• National Health Council: “NHC Letter to HHS Re: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (APIC)”
• National Medical Association: “NMA Statement on Removal of Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Panel”
• Science and Families Engaging Communities Coalition: “Statement from SAFE Communities Coalition on Dismissal of ACIP Members by HHS”
• The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America: “SHEA Affirms Trust in ACIP and Supports Science-Based Vaccine Policy”
• Vaccinate Your Family: “Statement from Vaccinate Your Family on the Removal of ACIP Members and the Threat to Vaccine Coverage”
• Voices for Vaccines: “Voices for Vaccines’ Statement on the Termination of ACIP Memberships”

340+ Employees Release Statement on Politicization of Science at NIH

More than 340 scientists and other staff members at the NIH released a statement this week claiming that leadership at the agency has politicized science while also imploring them to reverse cuts and freezes on external grants. In it, the authors emphasize NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya’s stated dedication to free speech and scientific dissent at NIH. The authors also explain in their introduction that, “For staff across the National Institutes of Health (NIH), we dissent to Administration policies that undermine the NIH mission, waste public resources, and harm the health of Americans and people across the globe. Keeping NIH at the forefront of biomedical research requires our stalwart commitment to continuous improvement. But the life-and-death nature of our work demands that changes be thoughtful and vetted. We are compelled to speak up when our leadership prioritizes political momentum over human safety and faithful stewardship of public resources.”

According to Science, “The declaration organizers write that they modeled their protest after the Great Barrington Declaration, a 2020 statement written by Bhattacharya and others that decried COVID-19 lockdowns and other public health restrictions. The health economist, then at Stanford University, and his two co-signers argued instead to focus on protecting only the most vulnerable groups from SARS-CoV-2. Bhattacharya has said his pandemic views were suppressed by the mainstream medical establishment and, since arriving at NIH in April, vowed to foster a culture of “dissent” at the agency.”

A second letter has been published supporting the first that has been signed by at least 19 Nobel Prize winners and two former NIH directors.

Further Reading:

• “The Bethesda Declaration: A Call for NIH and HHS Leadership to Deliver on Promises of Academic Freedom and Scientific Excellence”
• “NIH Scientists Call on Director to Protect Biomedical Research,” Rob Stein, NPR
• “‘We Dissent’: NIH Workers Protest Trump Policies That ‘Harm the Health of Americans,'” Rachana Pradhan, KFF Health News
• “Senators Grill NIH Director in Budget Hearing: 4 Takeaways,” Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech, The Hill

JAMA Article Outlines New FDA Priorities

A recent article authored by FDA Commissioner Martin Makary and Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Vinay Prasad and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association lays out the FDA’s new priorities. One of these includes using AI to “radically increase efficiency” in the process of approving drugs and medical devices, in what Makary and Vinay Prasad describe in the article as “unleashing AI.” The pair also explain that the agency has “developed a road map to reduce animal testing using AI-based computational modeling to predict toxicity-leveraging chip technology.” Other priorities discussed in the article include accelerating cures, harnessing big data, and removing additives like petroleum-based dyes and talc from foods and medications.

Further Reading:

• “Makary, Prasad Lay Out Mission for FDA in Journal Kennedy Called ‘Corrupt,'” Heather McKenzie, BioSpace
• “F.D.A. to Use A.I. in Drug Approvals to ‘Radically Increase Efficiency,'” Christina Jewett, The New York Times

CDC to Rehire 450+ Fired Employees

The CDC will rehire hundreds of terminated employees from the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and Tuberculosis Prevention, the National Center for Environmental Health, the Immediate Office of the Director, and the Global Health Center. These employees were initially fired as part of HHS’ large reorganization and downsizing efforts that included terminations of about 2,400 CDC employees. In a statement about the rehirings, HHS said, “The Trump Administration is committed to protecting essential services—whether it’s supporting coal miners and firefighters through [the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health], safeguarding public health through lead prevention, or researching and tracking the most prevalent communicable diseases.”

Further Reading:

• “HHS Reinstates More Than 450 CDC Employees Fired During Massive Reorganization in April,” Heather Landi, Fierce Healthcare

Administration Will Cut All USAID Overseas Roles by September 30

New reporting from The Guardian has revealed that the administration plans to eliminate all of USAID’s international workforce by September 30. In a cable obtained by the outlet, Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that, “The Department of State is streamlining procedures under National Security Directive 38 to abolish all USAID overseas positions,” adding that his department “will assume responsibility for foreign assistance programming previously undertaken by USAID” beginning on June 15.

A State Department spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, confirmed the cable to the press before telling reporters that the action is just the department following through on promises of the administration to dismantle USAID. Bruce said, “So this was a cable, telling our posts exactly what they were expecting to be told, which is that those positions were being eliminated. So it wasn’t a surprise. It’s nothing new. And, it is exactly what we previewed, in February and March of this year.”

Further Reading:

• “US Secretary of State Rubio terminates all USAID positions abroad: Report,” MEE Staff, Middle East Eye
• “‘It’s Made Up’: Democrats Say Rubio Isn’t Playing It Straight About Foreign Aid Cuts,” Carmen Paun, Amanda Friedman, and Robert King, Politico
• “‘The Cartels and Clans Are Ecstatic’: How USAID Cuts Have Emboldened Colombia’s Narcos,” Harriet Barber, The Telegraph
• “U.S. Soft Power: Next Steps After the Foreign Aid Withdrawal,” Stephanie Psaki, Think Global Health

US Arrests Another Chinese National Who Allegedly Smuggled Biological Materials

On June 9, 2025, authorities arrested another Chinese scientist at Detroit Metropolitan Airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle unauthorized biological materials into the country. According to the Department of Justice, the scientist, Han Chengxuan, is a PhD candidate at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. She traveled to the US to begin a year-long research stint at the University of Michigan. In 2024 and 2025, she sent four packages to the US from the PRC that contained concealed biological materials. These packages were addressed to individuals affiliated with a laboratory at the University of Michigan.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers conducted an inspection of Han upon her arrival in Detroit, during which she made false statements about the packages and concealed materials. CBP officers later discovered the contents of her electronic device were deleted just days prior to her arrival in the US. Following their inspection, Han was interviewed by agents from the FBI and HSI. During this interview, she admitted to sending the packages knowing they contained biological material related to round worms. She also admitted to making false statements to CBP.

This comes just days after a Chinese couple was charged with conspiring to smuggle Fusarium graminearum into the United States. The pair intended to smuggle the samples into a laboratory at the University of Michigan where one of them is a postdoc. They had researched the fungus together while in university in the PRC.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Says Moscow Vies Western Military Biological Activities as a Security Threat

Russian state-owned media outlet TASS reported this week that Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said the West’s military biological activities constitute security threats to Moscow. In statements made at the Fifth International Scientific and Practical Conference-“Global Threats to Biological Security. Problems and Solutions.”-the senior diplomat said, “For quite a while, Russia has been expressing serious concern about the military biological activities of Western countries, which directly involve military officials and take place in laboratories outside those countries, particularly in close proximity to Russia’s borders…We see such activities, which are most often carried out through affiliated organizations and private companies that act as contractors, as a national security threat.”

This echoes years’ worth of Russian claims that the US and other Western counties are developing biological weapons in neighboring countries, including Georgia and Ukraine. Russia also notably accused the US at the UNSC of a plot with Ukraine to use migratory birds and bats to spread pathogens in its territory in 2022. Russia later reiterated these claims in October of that year. Russia requested a formal consultative meeting regarding these claims under Article V of the BWC in June of 2022. The Security Council later rejected a resolution offered by the Russian Federation to set up a commission to investigate its claims.

On the Lighter Side: Where Does the Name “Salmonella” Come From? 🐟

While the US consumed about 3.22 lbs (1.46 kg) of salmon per capita in 2022, salmonella is responsible for about 1.35 million infections every year in the US. What do these have in common? Absolutely nothing! Despite its fishy name, salmonella is named after a person with the last name Salmon—much like German chocolate cake, which is not from Germany, but is named after a person with the last name German. Read Juliana Kim’s breakdown of the bacterium’s backstory and etymology for NPR here.

“Lighting The Way: A Commentary on A Blueprint for Far-UVC”

In this piece for The Pandora Report, Biodefense PhD Candidate Sally Huang analyzes Blueprint Biosecurity‘s recently-published report, Blueprint for Far-UVC. Huang writes in part, “The Blueprint for Far-UVC report represents meaningful progress in the healthcare technology realm and may offer useful direction for policymakers aiming to advance deployment. It highlights opportunities to pair implementation with targeted funding for pilot programs, the development of accreditation pathways for healthcare technologies, and the integration of far-UVC alongside other healthcare technologies. These measures could go a long way in reinforcing and sustaining emergency preparedness well beyond the immediate context of pandemic preparedness.”

“How to Stop the Next Pandemic”

This month’s edition of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists‘ digital magazine is dedicated to pandemic prevention and includes articles like “How AI Can Slow the Rise of Antibiotic-Resistant “Superbugs,”” “Pandemics, Public Health, and Popular Support: What History Can Tell Us,” and “Amplifying Doubt: How Russian Trolls Leveraged Pandemic Uncertainty for Strategic Gain.”

“The Imperative of a Global Pandemic Risk Assessment Framework”

This NAM Perspectives piece was authored by Victor J. Dzau, Maria de Lourdes Oliveira Aguiar, and Joy Phumaphi, and illustrates a long-term vision for addressing pandemic risk. The authors write in part, “The absence of a systematic approach to monitoring and assessing pandemic risk leaves policymakers unprepared and populations vulnerable. While international efforts like the Global Health Security Agenda and the Joint External Evaluation aim to strengthen preparedness, they must be paralleled by ongoing comprehensive risk assessments: after all, it is impossible to assess preparedness if we do not understand what we are preparing for. To improve pandemic preparedness, we must shift from a reactive response model to risk-informed preparedness anchored in ongoing assessment. Establishing a structured, interdisciplinary pandemic risk assessment framework will allow global stakeholders to anticipate, mitigate, and manage future pandemics more effectively (Oppenheim et al., 2021).”

“The Pandemic Accord’s Dangerous Blind Spot: Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity”

In this commentary piece from the RAND Corporation, Jay Atanda argues that the Pandemic Accord, while aiming to improve global readiness and response to pandemic, overlooks lab biosafety and biosecurity, noting that it barely acknowledges such threats with just two mentions of “laboratory biological risk management.” Drawing on work from globalbiolabs.org, he highlights how the risk of accidents involving the highest consequence pathogens is rising as the number of BSL-4 labs in the world also rises. He recommends creating a mandatory reporting requirement for laboratory accidents as part of a new framework for laboratory biosafety and biosecurity monitoring, similar to the IHR. He also suggests a program similar to the GHSA should be created for this area, and that BSL-4 facilities should be located away form major population centers.

“Should There be Stricter Regulation for Laboratories Doing Dangerous Research Into Viruses?”

This debate piece from Horizons includes commentary from Laurent Bächler and Mirco Schmolke, who offer insight and opposing answers to the question of creating stricter regulations for labs undertaking risky virological research.

50 Years of the Biological Weapons Convention: Tracking the Journey

This new book was edited by Ajey Lele and is available for purchase or digital download from the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses: “The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) entered into force in 1975. This treaty prohibits the development, production, and stockpiling of biological and toxin weapons. This volume offers a comprehensive examination of the BWC’s historical development, notable achievements, and the challenges it may encounter in the future. It examines the treaty’s role in international security and assesses its effectiveness in preventing the misuse of biology for hostile purpose-a must-read for scholars, policymakers, and security professionals.”

“Viral Families With Pandemic Potential”

Amesh Adalja and Thomas Inglesby recently published this article in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. In it, they write in part “…here we describe with more detail the viral families that should be prioritized as those with greatest pandemic potential given their capacity for widespread respiratory transmission and the absence of MCMs: Orthomyxoviridae, Coronaviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Picornavirdae, Pneumoviridae, and Adenoviridae. These viral families all include viral species that have the capacity for efficient human-to-human spread via the respiratory route, seasonal endemic members, and zoonotic analogues…”

What We’re Listening To 🎧

BioSciences, Expert Interview: Harshi Mukundan on Biosecurity
“In this audio interview, listen as Harshi Mukundan, interim Head of the Bioengineering and Biomedical Sciences Department and Chemical and Biological Technologies Lead in the Lab’s Office of National and Homeland Security, discusses the importance of biosecurity research.”

Listen here.

SBA.4 International Synthetic Biology and Biosecurity Conference in Africa

From SynBio Africa: “The SBA 4.0 conference will serve as a platform for fostering connections among industry, academia, community groups, and policymakers. It will showcase innovative applications of synthetic biology and AI, and highlight ongoing efforts in biomathematics, biomanufacturing, one-health, biosafety and biosecurity. It will also facilitate networking and information exchange. Key focus areas include tackling agriculture, health, environmental management, and industry challenges. In Africa, synthetic biology is poised to drive the national development agenda by promoting a sustainable bioeconomy, supporting health and agricultural systems, and aiding environmental conservation and restoration. This event will provide a vital opportunity for stakeholders to discuss and strategize the integration of synthetic biology innovations, address policy, legal frameworks, and communicate the benefits of the technology.”

This conference will take place July 23-25 in Kigali. Learn more and register here.

International Pandemic Sciences Conference

“Representatives from academia, industry, civil society and policy are invited to gather in Oxford, UK, and online from 30 June – 1 July 2025 for the International Pandemic Sciences Conference 2025.”

“This year’s conference theme, Getting Ahead of the Curve, will explore how we can work together to predict, identify and control epidemic and pandemic threats globally. ”

“Over two days of plenary, parallel and networking sessions, stakeholders from different sectors and communities will have the opportunity to share ideas, experiences and strategies on prediction, early detection and control of pandemic threats. ”

“The International Pandemic Sciences Conference 2025 is hosted by the Pandemic Sciences Institute at the University of Oxford.”

Learn more, register, and submit abstracts here.

CTD-SPECTRE 2nd Annual Symposium 

“The CTD-SPECTRE Symposium on Tropical and Emerging Infectious Diseases for Clinicians and Translational Scientists 2025 offers a unique opportunity to connect with global experts, gain cutting-edge insights, and collaborate with peers dedicated to infectious disease research and treatment.”

“Taking place September 16 -19, 2025, at the historic Grand Galvez in Galveston, TX, this immersive symposium will unite clinicians, translational investigators, and trainees to explore the latest breakthroughs in tropical and emerging infectious diseases.”

Learn more and register here.

Announcing the Arms Control Knowledge Transfer Initiative Primary Source Archive

The Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) has launched the Arms Control Knowledge Transfer Initiative (ACKTI), a program designed to preserve knowledge through senior expert interviews and primary source archival research, to educate the next generation of arms control experts on all aspects of arms control, including negotiation, implementation, inspection, and more.

Call for Applications: Mid-Career Biodefense Bootcamp Fellowship (2025)
“…the Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) is continuing to develop and cultivate creative solutions to help address biological threats, including a particular focus on reducing risks of the deliberate misuse of infectious diseases and other biological materials, processes, and products. As part of this work, CSR is announcing an open call for applications for our new Mid-Career Biodefense Bootcamp Fellowship, which follows an early-2024 beta run of the program.”

“In this “bootcamp” fellowship, successful applicants will learn from leading experts committed to biological threat reduction and biosecurity, including current and former government officials who helped dismantle Cold War-era biological weapons capabilities, advance international biological cooperation, and drive policy progress. They will interact with leading current and former experts as well as public and private sector innovators.”

Learn more and apply by July 7 here.