Allergy & Asthma Network Testifies at CDC to Support Vaccine Access

On Sept. 19, 2025, Allergy & Asthma Network Director of Advocacy Nissa Shaffi delivered testimony before the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the critical issue of vaccine access.

Speaking directly to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), Nissa underscored how vaccines are a lifeline for people living with asthma, allergies, COPD, and other respiratory conditions – protecting vulnerable communities and strengthening public health.

Below is the full text of her remarks to ACIP.

Learn more about the status of flu, COVID-19 and other vaccines for people with respiratory conditions and their families.

Re: Docket No. CDC-2025-0454; Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)

Good afternoon, my name is Nissa Shaffi, Director of Advocacy at Allergy & Asthma Network.

I appreciate the opportunity to present testimony today before the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in staunch support for vaccine availability and access to consumers across all insurance coverage types.

Allergy & Asthma Network is a nationwide, nonprofit patient advocacy organization that represents over 100 million Americans impacted by asthma, allergies, and related conditions like COPD.

Individuals living with these chronic conditions are at a greater risk of developing complications from infectious diseases such as influenza; pertussis; measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR); COVID-19; and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). These conditions can exacerbate symptoms, leading to serious lung complications.  

Allergy & Asthma Network is deeply concerned about the recent changes to the national vaccine recommendations, which were originally shaped to emphasize the significance of vaccination to attain herd immunity, reduce complications and deaths and to mitigate public health disasters.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, evidence-based scientific health communications were paramount to managing the spread of the disease and treating symptoms. Individuals relied on medical research and expert opinion to make pertinent health decisions.

The collective national effort to equip the public with timely, medically verified information helped Americans arrive at a new normal. Recent efforts in some states to hamper consumers’ ability to receive COVID-19 vaccines without a prescription derails these victories and will cause a ripple effect of access challenges, a spike in disease burden, compromised herd immunity, and increased health expenditures.

Patients with asthma and other respiratory diseases rely on their vaccine administration to be covered by their insurance. ACIP’s recommendations significantly influence insurance coverage for vaccines, as private insurers, Medicare Part D, and Medicaid are all typically required to cover vaccines with an ACIP recommendation at no cost. We are concerned that any changes to the recommendations will result in vaccines not being covered by insurance, which will reduce or prevent people from getting the vaccinations they need.

In 2023, over 3,600 people died from asthma, with African Americans experiencing three times the rate of disease burden than non-Hispanic White people. Nearly 49 percent of adults under the age of 65 report cost barriers to asthma care, and asthma costs the nation nearly $82 billion dollars in annual healthcare costs. We must not introduce undue barriers that prevent people from fulfilling this vital duty to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.

Allergy & Asthma Network urges the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to maintain effective public messaging and strong vaccine recommendations. Without intervention, these measures will undo decades of medical innovation, public health communications, and vaccine confidence. This, in turn, will jeopardize guidance on other critical vaccines that benefit people with chronic respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD.

Thank you.

About Allergy & Asthma Network

Founded in 1985, Allergy & Asthma Network is the leading nonprofit outreach, education, advocacy and research organization for people living with asthma, allergies and related conditions. Our mission is simple yet profound: to advance patient-centered research and advocate for better outcomes, access to care, education, and treatments that lead to improved health and quality of life. We specialize in making medically accurate information understandable to all, promote evidence-based care, and foster collaboration among patients, clinicians, researchers, advocates and policymakers. Learn more at AllergyAsthmaNetwork.org.