Dr. Kirk Milhoan, Advocate for Truth and Transparency
The newly appointed head of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is a refreshing change
Dr. Kirk Milhoan, pediatric cardiologist and newly appointed head of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is no stranger to controversy.
From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, he believed that his role as a doctor was to “not harm.” When ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine were emerging as possible treatments for SARS-CoV-2, Dr. Milhoan participated in a panel discussion organized by the Pono Coalition for Informed Consent, a group that supported civil discussion about COVID-19. Because of his participation, the state medical board filed a complaint against Dr. Milhoan and another doctor, Dr. Pang (Maui District Health Officer), stating that the two doctors were spreading misinformation about the use of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin to treat the virus. Since then, both doctors have been cleared of all allegations. (1)
Shortly after being appointed chair of the vaccine advisory panel, Dr. Milhoan was fired from his pediatric cardiology practice because of his position on the committee. His wife, Dr. Kim Milhoan, wrote that he was fired due to an overwhelming number of calls to their organization demanding his dismissal for his role on the ACIP. As Dr. Milhoan said in a recent interview, “I was becoming a public relations nightmare for them.” Within a few days, one of his cardiology peers stood up for him, and he was reinstated to his original position. (2,3)
Bring back informed consent
As a known vaccine advocate, Dr. Milhoan also respects informed consent and believes that each patient should be treated as an individual. This means weighing the risks and benefits for each person’s health, lifestyle, and autonomy.
In a recent interview on the Dr. Drew Show, Dr. Milhoan stated that he had trusted the CDC, FDA, and NIH to do their due diligence in examining the safety and efficacy of vaccines. He believes in using the scientific method and clinical experience to make decisions; however, once he accepted the role as head of the ACIP, he discovered that this was not the case. The hepatitis B vaccine, for example, was reportedly studied for only seven days to assess long-term health effects. (4)
Impressive goals
While at the ACIP, Dr. Milhoan would like to: (4)
- Reinstate the patient-doctor relationship, in which they decide together what is best for the patient.
- Promote transparency and honesty with the general public.
Dr. Milhoan goes so far as to say that “the medical community and government need to take some responsibility and realize that we have encouraged people and that has caused them to be harmed,” referring to the COVID-19 vaccine, the vaccine-injured, and long COVID sufferers. (4)
He also questions the use of combination vaccines, citing a 2018 meeting where vaccines such as DTP and MMR had been approved, but there were no studies, not even from Europe, that had evaluated their safety. He would like more long-term, science-based studies on these and other health interventions. (4)
Confusing public health with science
One point in the interview that stood out was that decisions are often made based on public health outcomes rather than science alone. Public health outcomes are usually measured, resourced, and interpreted in incomplete or uneven ways, with poor-quality data, limited long-term evaluation, and outcome tools that do not give providers what they need to make informed decisions. (5,6)
This also includes incomplete data on race, ethnicity, income, and social and economic factors. In an ideal world, the patient-provider relationship would focus on holistic, well-rounded data grounded in science and what is best for the patient. (5,6)
We applaud and welcome Dr. Milhoan as head of ACIP and wish him the best.
References
- Fry, M. (2022, April 5). Doctors cleared of COVID-19 misinformation allegations. The Maui News. https://www.mauinews.com/news/local-news/2022/04/doctors-cleared-of-covid-19-misinformation-allegations/
- Sforza, L. (2025, December 11). New chair of CDC vaccine panel fired from pediatric practice, wife says. The Hill. https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5645398-milhoan-cardiology-termination-acip-cdc/
- Milhoan, K. (2025, December 11). Irony [Substack newsletter]. Kimberly Milhoan, MD. https://kimberlymilhoanmd.substack.com/p/irony
- Byte News Daily. (2025, December 11). CDC vaccine panel chair fired from cardiology role [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UEGfhECvOc
- Worthy, M. N., Hurley, K. J., & Trupp, R. J. (2022). Utilizing a theory of change for better health outcomes. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9, Article 909466. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.909466
- Lloyd, N., Hyett, N., & Kenny, A. (2023). Barriers and Enablers to Evaluating Outcomes From Public Involvement in Health Service Design: An Interpretive Description. Qualitative health research, 33(11), 983–994. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323231191048
Written by Brooke Lounsbury
