Why is Georgia Department of Health Aligning with an Advocacy Group on Vaccine Policy?

Georgia parents may not realize this, but the vaccine rules that determine whether a child can attend school are not written by the CDC.

They are written by the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Under Georgia law, DPH is vested with authority to establish and enforce immunization requirements for school attendance and related public health regulations.

Those rules guide school systems and influence pediatric practice statewide.

For years, DPH has aligned its vaccine guidance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a federal public health agency.

A Transparency Fight Over Who Shapes Health Rules for Georgia’s Children

Recently, however, DPH began aligning its public-facing vaccine guidance with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) — a non-profit professional association.

That shift raises serious questions.

Georgia’s Department of Health Rule Making Authority

Georgia law grants DPH rulemaking authority over immunization requirements for school attendance.

These DPH rules affect:

• Which vaccines are required
• Timing and scheduling
• Documentation standards
• Recognition of exemptions

This authority carries weight.

CDC VS American Academy of Pediatrics – An Important Distinction

When DPH aligns with CDC guidance, it relies on a federal health authority.

The CDC

The CDC is the national public health agency of the US. It is a federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services.

“CDC serves the American public—individuals, families, and communities—who rely on accurate data, health guidance, and preventive measures.”

The majority of CDC funding comes from federal budget appropriations.

According to the CDC’s website:

“CDC receives funding through the budget and appropriation process. Congress is responsible for passing appropriation legislation. The authority for Congress to legislate and appropriate arises from the U.S. Constitution.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics

When the Georgia Department of Health aligns with AAP guidance to a non-profit association of pediatricians that actively engages in public policy advocacy.

The AAP is an advocacy group with 67​,000 pediatricians as members. It advocates on a federal level and has a picture of the United States Capitol on its advocacy page.

“The Academy’s advocacy, driven by its evidence-based policies, extends to all three branches of the federal government.”

The AAP is funded through donations, memberships, and subscriptions to their journals. Of the ten donators listed in the “President’s Circle” six are pharmaceutical companies.

There is another important distinction between these two organizations.

There is a significant difference in CDC and AAP Schedules.

CDC Vaccine Schedule

January 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention formally revised its childhood immunization schedule, significantly reducing the number of vaccines it routinely recommends for all children.

Under the new CDC framework, the number of diseases covered by universal childhood vaccination dropped from 17 to 11, and several previously routine vaccines — rotavirus, influenza, COVID-19, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and meningococcal disease — are no longer universally recommended, instead being advised only for certain high-risk groups or moved into a “shared clinical decision-making” category.

The schedule also adjusted recommended dosing (for example, moving to a single dose of the human papillomavirus vaccine in some age groups).

AAP Vaccine Schedule

By contrast, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2026 childhood and adolescent immunization schedule continues to recommend vaccination against all diseases previously included as routine, maintaining recommendations for vaccines that the CDC has moved out of its routine category.

The AAP’s schedule still includes immunizations against the diseases the CDC’s revised schedule has shifted, arguing that the science and disease risk in the United States have not changed, and endorses broader use and dosing practices, such as a two-dose HPV series in younger children.

CDC reduced routine recommendations — fewer diseases are universally recommended.

Vaccines no longer routinely recommended under CDC include rotavirus, influenza, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, RSV, COVID-19, and meningococcal disease (now conditional

CDC shifted to “shared clinical decision-making” or high-risk group recommendations for many previously routine vaccines.

AAP continues to recommend these vaccines routinely, preserving a broader immunization schedule.

Dosing differences (e.g., HPV) also exist between the schedules

That distinction matters — especially now.

The timing is important. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recently publicly advocated for the elimination of non-medical vaccine exemptions.

At the same time, the organization is facing ongoing legal scrutiny, including a federal RICO lawsuit¹ and FCC investigative attention² concerning communications and policy coordination.

Whether those claims ultimately prevail in court is not the point here.

The point is this:

If Georgia’s public health agency is shifting alignment from a federal authority to a private advocacy organization during active litigation and controversy, the public deserves transparency.

Seeking Transparency Through Open Records Request

To understand this apparent shift, I filed an Open Records Request with DPH seeking communications related to its alignment with AAP guidance.

The initial response stated that no responsive records existed.

Shortly thereafter, two internal emails were produced.

The existence of those emails directly contradicted the original representation.

If two responsive emails existed, what else had not been disclosed?

The Second Open Records Request

In response, I filed a second request, narrowly tailored.

I requested emails using keyword searches including specific officials who had made public statements dating back to July 2025 concerning vaccine policy direction.

The result: an IT search yielded 7,604 responsive items — from just one official.

This does not prove misconduct.

But it proves internal discussion occurred.

Estimated Fees For Public Records Requests

DPH then issued a projected fee exceeding $1,000 to review and redact the emails.

Georgia’s Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72) allows agencies to charge reasonable fees for search and redaction.

In Favor of Disclosure

However, Georgia courts have repeatedly held that the Act must be construed broadly in favor of disclosure. In Atlanta Journal-Constitution v. Long, 258 Ga. 410 (1988), the Georgia Supreme Court reaffirmed that transparency is the law’s guiding principle.

Additionally, O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71(d) requires agencies to use “the most economical means reasonably calculated” to identify and produce responsive records.

When projected fees exceed four figures for communications concerning public policy decisions that affect every schoolchild in Georgia, it raises legitimate concerns about whether cost is becoming a barrier to access.

A Good Faith Offer – And Silence

In response, I:

• Cited statutory provisions
• Referenced controlling case law
• Requested a detailed breakdown of the fee calculation
• Offered to pay the IT search cost already incurred

As of this writing, no substantive response has been provided addressing the reassessment request or providing the invoice for the completed IT work.

Legislative Outreach

Because DPH’s rulemaking authority directly affects Georgia schools and families, I have also reached out to legislators regarding these concerns.

If the department is shifting alignment from CDC guidance to AAP policy positions — particularly at a time when exemption policy is actively debated — lawmakers should be informed.

Parents should be informed.

School administrators should be informed.

Transparency is not optional when public health rules carry the force of law.

The Bigger Question

This is not about partisan politics.

It is about governance.

If a state agency vested with statutory rulemaking authority is relying on guidance from a private organization that openly advocates for policy changes affecting exemptions and school access, the public deserves to know:

• Why the shift occurred
• Who participated in the discussions
• Whether legislative input was sought
• What internal deliberations took place

Public health decisions carry profound consequences.

Open government laws exist precisely so that those decisions can be examined.

When obtaining basic communications requires multiple requests, legal citations, and escalating costs, the transparency process itself becomes part of the story.

I will continue pursuing these records lawfully and professionally.

The rules governing Georgia’s children should not be shaped behind closed doors.

Here is the letter I wrote to Georgia legislators:

To: All Elected Officials in the Georgia Legislation

Over the past several weeks, I have been seeking public records from the Georgia Department of Public Health regarding it recent decision to shift childhood vaccine guidance from CDC recommendations to those of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Through this process, I have encountered delays, inconsistent responses and very limited documentation supporting a major policy change that affects thousands of Georgia families.

This experience has raised serious concerns for me about accountability, oversight, and the growing power of unelected public health agencies. Decisions that impact our children’s medical care should never be made behind closed doors or without clear public justification.

For these reason, I am asking for your support on the following legislation:

• HB 1242 – Limiting Georgia DPH/s authority to unlilaterally change vaccine policy and strengthening legislative oversight.
• HB 1089- Expanding access to Ivermectin over the counter and protecting medical choice.

These bills represent an important step toward restoring balance between public health agencies and the families they serve. Parents – not bureaucracies- should guide decisions about children’s healthcare.

I respectfully ask that you stand with Georgia families by supporting these measures and advocating for stronger oversight of the Department of Public Health. Transparency builds trust. Silence and secrecy destroy it.

Tia Severino

If you have questions or want to help, please email me at nextstepsatlanta@gmail.com

Watch my podcast: Next Steps, Shifting the Paradigm Podcast

To learn more what I am passionate about, see my interview with Lyn Redwood HERE.

To better understand the controversy and the institutional responses, watch:

SimpsonWood Scandal

To meet like-minded citizens, click HERE.

References:

Hackell, Jesse. Nonmedical exemptions to school immunization requirements should be eliminated. July 28, 2025

¹Breaking: Children’s Health Defense Hits AAP With RICO Suit Over Fraudulent Vaccine Safety Claims • Children’s Health Defense https://share.google/GGDwb9lMkSpNAG8Ri

²American Academy Of Pediatrics Under Investigation Over Trans Youth Care – KFF Health News https://share.google/WVDRFA5pEcrSnibZJ