My email asking Mark Del Monte, CEO of AAP, for a credible scientific study justifying the CDC childhood vaccine schedule

I cc'ed the ACIP members :) If he doesn't reply, the ACIP members will be able to say at the next ACIP meeting that the AAP couldn't produce a single credible study justifying their recommendations.

Steve Kirsch

Jan 17, 2026

Subject: Request for Evidence Supporting Childhood Vaccine Schedule Outcomes
Cc: ACIP committee members

Mark,

Several colleagues and I have been unable to identify a peer-reviewed study demonstrating a statistically significant net morbidity or all-cause mortality benefit attributable to the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule when evaluated as a bundled intervention.

I would appreciate it if you could provide citations to any study — from the U.S. or internationally — that evaluates a full childhood vaccination schedule using individual-level outcome data and demonstrates an overall health or mortality benefit.

For context, the CDC’s 2017 childhood immunization safety study evaluated outcomes only through age four and did not report a statistically significant mortality benefit associated with the U.S. schedule.

Additionally, multiple pediatric practices that follow reduced or no-vaccination approaches report substantially lower rates of chronic childhood conditions compared with nearby conventional practices. Are you aware of any documented U.S. counter-examples in which non-vaccinating practices demonstrate worse aggregate health outcomes?

Because these two questions directly relate to the evidentiary basis of national immunization policy, I believe they are relevant to ACIP’s ongoing deliberations. I am copying several ACIP committee members so any information you provide can be shared transparently. Please include them on your reply.

For clarity, by “credible outcome study” I mean one that includes:

• Individual-level (record-level) data

• Appropriate positive and negative controls

• Statistically significant net benefit across overall health or mortality outcomes

Thank you in advance for your time and for any references you are able to provide.

Best regards,

Steve

My prediction

We will get SILENCE rather than SCIENCE from AAP.

They cannot produce a study because no such study exists. They deliberately avoid doing the study.

And when a credible hospital system does the study on vaccinated vs. unvaccinated (Zervos study at Henry Ford Health), the researchers are forbidden from publishing the study. That is not science. That is propaganda.

Reader poll

Whoops. I forgot the option “produce a compliant study” but that’s impossible. If there was a compliant study, one of my colleagues would be aware of it.

POLL

How will the CEO of the American Academy of Pediatrics respond?

Admit no such studies exist

3%

Ignore the request

88%

Produce a non-compliant study

8%

Resign

1%

1239 VOTES · 2 DAYS REMAINING