by Annette Pinder

The Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP) is an initiative of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP). Launched in April 2025, the project was formed by public health experts in response to increasing concerns about the spread of vaccine misinformation.

The goal of the VIP is to provide independent, trustworthy guidance on vaccines. The initiative was prompted by the dismissal of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Following the committee’s dismissal, Secretary Kennedy appointed political officials who are spreading anti-vaccine information that contradicts evidence-based science. Knowing that many people are confused, whose lives are at stake, the VIP’s activities include:

  • Creating independent clinical guidelines: Since federal guidance is now considered unreliable, the VIP conducts its own scientific reviews to develop and share immunization guidelines with medical societies and healthcare systems.
  • Rapid response communication: The VIP monitors and directly addresses vaccine misinformation from official federal sources in real-time.
  • Comprehensive evidence review: The project assembles expert teams to assess the scientific evidence on vaccine safety and effectiveness. Its initial emphasis has been on influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 immunizations.
  • Convening experts: The VIP gathers a diverse group of professionals from the vaccine and public health sectors, including researchers, medical associations, health insurers, and state officials.
  • Addressing infrastructure challenges: The VIP also examines how non-governmental organizations can assist in safeguarding vaccine access and the safety monitoring infrastructure, particularly in light of threats to federal vaccine programs.

The VIP’s steering committee is co-chaired by Dr. Margaret Hamburg, former FDA Commissioner, and Dr. Harvey Fineberg, past president of the National Academy of Medicine. The project is led by Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director of CIDRAP, and supported by an unrestricted gift from the Alumbra Innovations Foundation, a collective of organizations committed to advancing health and prosperity.

Other organizations collaborating with the VIP Project include The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (which has issued an independent immunization schedule for children consistent with the VIP’s findings); American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) (which developed and released its own maternal immunization guidance ahead of the 2025-2026 respiratory season); Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA); American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP); American College of Physicians (ACP); Gerontological Society of America; American Pharmacists Association (APhA); Immunize.org; Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO); Mark Feinberg, president and CEO of IAVI; and Avalere Health. The VIP also works with health insurers, healthcare systems, vaccine manufacturers, pharmacies, and health media experts.

The following are helpful resources that are available to the public and that are based on evidence-based medicine: