UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Vaccine firms feel a chill as U.S. Health Secretary rhetoric turns into reality

Q1. In June 2025, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services dismissed the entire sitting membership of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). How many members were removed?

  • A. 12
  • B. 15
  • C. 17
  • D. 22

Q2. Which one of the following is the principal federal advisory body in the United States that recommends vaccine schedules for civilian use to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)?

  • A. National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC)
  • B. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
  • C. Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC)
  • D. Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB)

Q3. In the context of the U.S. immunization architecture often referenced in the recent vaccine policy controversy, the term 'ACIP' refers to:

  • A. A federal advisory committee, established under the Public Health Service Act, that develops recommendations on the use of vaccines in the civilian population for the CDC
  • B. A statutory U.S. regulator that grants marketing authorisation and biologics licences for vaccines manufactured for the American market
  • C. A WHO-administered prequalification mechanism that certifies vaccines for procurement by UN agencies including UNICEF and Gavi
  • D. A no-fault compensation fund operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for individuals injured by routine childhood vaccines

Q4. With reference to the reconstituted U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of June 2025 in comparison with its predecessor, consider the following statements: 1. The reconstituted ACIP announced in June 2025 had eight named members, fewer than the seventeen-member panel it replaced. 2. At its first meeting under the reconstituted panel, the ACIP was scheduled to vote on vaccine recommendations covering COVID-19, human papillomavirus, influenza, meningitis and respiratory syncytial virus. 3. The ACIP itself was newly established in 2025 by an order of the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, replacing an earlier vaccine advisory body. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The reconstituted ACIP announced in June 2025 had eight named members, fewer than the seventeen-member panel it replaced.
  2. At its first meeting under the reconstituted panel, the ACIP was scheduled to vote on vaccine recommendations covering COVID-19, human papillomavirus, influenza, meningitis and respiratory syncytial virus.
  3. The ACIP itself was newly established in 2025 by an order of the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, replacing an earlier vaccine advisory body.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. At the first meeting of the reconstituted U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on 25 June 2025, the panel was scheduled to vote on recommendations for vaccines against which of the following diseases? Consider: 1. COVID-19 2. Human papillomavirus (HPV) 3. Poliomyelitis 4. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. COVID-19
  2. Human papillomavirus (HPV)
  3. Poliomyelitis
  4. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 only