Thank you for reporting on Gov. Wes Moore and Dr. Meena Seshamani’s commitment to the evidence-based health and safety of Marylanders through vaccine access (Moore: COVID vaccines will be available in Maryland despite turmoil in D.C., Sept. 5, 2025).

I wanted to call attention to the disruption of foundational components of the health of our community currently in motion at the federal level that threatens the ability of our local leaders to make decisions for our health.

The appointment of the new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) members without proper vetting for conflicts of interest, the dismantling of work groups and the platforming of individuals without expertise calls into question the legitimacy of ACIP and any recommendations it may issue.

Our health system relies on the recommendations of a scientifically informed ACIP. Insurance companies cover vaccines as recommended by the committee and adopted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As a pediatrician, I have been able to confidently advise vaccination to patients because I knew that guidance from the ACIP was the best in the country and relied only on science.

In aggregate, vaccinations have prevented 154 million deaths worldwide since 1974, according to a May 2024 study in The Lancet; 146 million of these prevented deaths were in children younger than 5 years. Moreover, I see the impact of vaccine-preventable illnesses on children, their families and communities every shift as an emergency room pediatrician.

Days at home or in the hospital due to vaccine-preventable illnesses affect children’s ability to learn at school, their social development and their ability to live long and healthy lives. Their parents suffer the psychological stress of an ill child, as well as lost wages and professional development from missed days of work.

For more on why childhood immunizations are important for all of us, talk to your pediatrician and urge your congresspersons to protect America’s vaccine infrastructure.

Kristol Das is an emergency room pediatrician in Baltimore and holds a master’s in public health.

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