CDC and industry experts were excluded from ACIP preparation

Plus: Demetre Daskalakis, a former CDC official, on his new role in New York

December 3, 2025 Check out STAT+

Sponsored By

By Theresa Gaffney Morning Rounds Writer and Reporter

Good morning. As we inch closer to the end of the year, it becomes harder and harder for me to go an entire day without a Little Treat. Today is no different. I hope you're reading this while sipping on something delicious.

policy CDC and industry experts excluded from ACIP hepatitis B meeting The federal government's vaccine advisory panel is scheduled to review the hepatitis B vaccine this week. But experts on the shot — both in and outside of the government — told STAT's Daniel Payne and Chelsea Cirruzzo they've been shut out of the process. Like many of the proceedings around the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices this year, this is far from normal.  Makers of the vaccine, who hold safety data about the shot and expertise on its manufacturing and development, are typically consulted by government officials. Additionally, the CDC's subject matter specialists usually present agency data and answer questions asked by the committee during the meetings. But "[ACIP leaders] do not appear to be interested in that aspect of the safety data," one of the people familiar with the discussions said. Read more and keep an eye out for further STAT coverage of the meeting, which will take place tomorrow and Friday. courts Supreme Court hears oral arguments on crisis pregnancy centers Crisis pregnancy centers — faux health clinics designed to deter pregnant people from getting abortions — are back at the Supreme Court. Justices heard arguments yesterday in First Choice Women's Resource Center v. Platkin. First Choice is a faith-based network of crisis pregnancy centers in New Jersey challenging a subpoena from the state. The justices are considering a technical question of whether First Choice went to federal court too early, as the network was not yet required to respond to the subpoena.  These clinics have long been seen as an on-the-ground extension of the anti-abortion movement. And as abortion restrictions have spread post-Dobbs, they haven't gone away. The industry is expected to bring in more than $2.5 billion this year, PBS News reported Monday.  Some experts are worried that a ruling in favor of First Choice will have a chilling effect on other state and local efforts to regulate crisis pregnancy centers. But others point to the increasing use of subpoenas by state and federal attorneys to target organizations that government leaders disagree with. (The ACLU, for example, contributed to an amicus brief in support of First Choice.) Mother Jones has a great in-depth explainer on the potential implications of this complicated case.  The justices seemed sympathetic to First Choice's argument, according to SCOTUSblog. A ruling is expected by next summer. politics Richard Pazdur set to leave the FDA Top drug regulator Richard Pazdur has filed papers to retire from the FDA at the end of this month, adding to the turmoil atop the agency, STAT's Lizzy Lawrence exclusively reported yesterday. The move comes less than a month after he took the role at the urging of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary. Pazdur is the fourth person to lead the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research this year. Read more from Lizzy on the turnover and how industry executives and patient advocates are reacting.

---

---

Q&A 'I couldn't just sit there and watch' Patrick Semansky/AP  Demetre Daskalakis likens his former colleagues at the CDC to "hostages." The former top agency official was optimistic about the potential for good public health policy when the second Trump administration started, but the feeling was short-lived. As Kennedy and his allies took over, Daskalakis came to believe science was being superseded by ideology, so he began compiling a list of reasons that made it hard to stay in the job. The final straw was the ousting of then-Director Susan Monarez in late August. Now, Daskalakis is taking his skills back to the city where they were honed. Starting in February, he'll serve as the chief medical officer of New York's Callen-Lorde Community Health Center. He'll also serve on the transition team for the city's incoming mayor, Zohran Mamdani. I spoke with Daskalakis about his new roles, how he decided to leave the CDC, what he thinks about Kennedy's latest moves, and more. Read our conversation and then check out the new First Opinion essay that Daskalakis and two former CDC colleagues wrote about how ACIP "faces a crisis of its own making."  what's the word Blood x 2 Two clues related to blood in this week's mini crossword. One was mentioned in a recent blue box. The other is something I've neglected since my last physical — oops. See if you can solve it. one big number 73% That's the percentage of Americans who oppose cutting federal jobs and programs focused on mental health services, opioid treatment, suicide prevention programs, and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, according to poll results published today by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Out of more than 2,000 respondents, 64% believe that Congress is doing too little to address inadequate mental health care systems in the U.S. The same percentage believe the country is spending too little money.  But funding has been cut dramatically this year. Re-visit reporting from STAT's O. Rose Broderick and Lev Facher on how Trump administration cuts have decimated SAMHSA, the federal addiction and mental health agency.

---

More around STAT

Check out more exclusive coverage with a STAT+ subscription Read premium in-depth biotech, pharma, policy, and life science coverage and analysis with all of our STAT+ articles.

---

What we're reading Trump administration says it will withhold SNAP from Democrat-led states if they don't provide data, AP Her baby was in the NICU. She was in ICE detention, The 19th Listen: 'Where's our CRISPR miracle?' STAT Feds promised 'radical transparency' but are withholding rural health fund applications, KFF Health News

---

Thanks for reading! More next time,

theresa.gaffney@statnews.com

---

Enjoying Morning Rounds? Tell us about your experience Continue reading the latest health & science news with the STAT app Download on the App Store or get it on Google Play

STAT, 1 Exchange Place, Boston, MA ©2025, All Rights Reserved. I no longer wish to receive STAT emails

Update Newsletter Preferences     •    Contact Us     •    Advertise with Us     •    View in Browser