The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today the appointment of Sean G. Downing, M.D., and Angelina Farella, M.D., to the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The appointments, made by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., come after a reconstitution of ACIP in June 2025 intended to bolster public trust in vaccine recommendations.
Dr. Downing is an internal medicine and pediatrics physician licensed in Florida, with over two decades of experience in primary care. He currently practices in Sarasota, Florida, with admitting privileges at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. His prior experience includes primary care for uninsured patients in Nashua, New Hampshire, and work in emergency and urgent care settings. Dr. Downing completed his combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency at Brown University, following his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine, where he also received graduate training in physiology and pharmacology.
Dr. Farella is a pediatrician and the owner of A Brighter Tomorrow Family Health and Wellness in Webster, Texas. She has practiced pediatric care for more than twenty years, establishing her own practice in 2004 and also working in private practice, pediatric urgent care, and as a locum tenens physician. Dr. Farella completed her pediatric residency training at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), serving as Pediatric Chief Resident, and held academic positions as Clinical Assistant Professor at UTMB and Adjunct Clinical Professor at William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She earned her medical degree with honors from Ross University School of Medicine and a B.A. In Biology from Rutgers University.
“ACIP must scrutinize the evidence openly, ask hard questions, and earn the nation’s confidence through transparent deliberation,” Secretary Kennedy said in a statement released by HHS. “Dr. Downing and Dr. Farella bring decades of real-world experience caring for children, adults, and families—and that frontline perspective is essential to making recommendations that are grounded in gold-standard science and worthy of public trust.”
CDC Acting Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Public health works best when the science is rigorous and the process is transparent. These appointments strengthen ACIP with experienced clinicians who understand how immunization guidance matters for patients and families.”
ACIP’s role is to provide recommendations to the CDC Director and HHS Secretary regarding the use of immunizations for controlling vaccine-preventable diseases within the U.S. Civilian population. The appointments come as the CDC and several states face legal challenges concerning vaccine recommendations. Fifteen states have filed lawsuits challenging new childhood vaccine recommendations, naming both RFK Jr. And the CDC as defendants, according to reports from Fierce Pharma. California is co-leading a multi-state lawsuit against the CDC, alleging unscientific vaccine recommendations that put public health at risk, as reported by the California State Portal.
