Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK) on Monday named five new members to the panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine policy.

The additions come ahead of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting this week to review guidance that could further reshape the federal vaccination policy on shots for hepatitis B, measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV), and COVID-19, Reuters reported.

In June, RFK removed all 17 ACIP members and replaced them with eight vaccine skeptics. One nominee stepped down during the vetting process due to a conflict of interest, leaving seven. With the five new appointments, the committee will now have 12 members. The new members also have questioned aspects of COVID-19 policies and vaccinations.

Newly announced committee members include:

• Catherine Stein, an epidemiologist and professor at Case Western Reserve University.
• Evelyn Griffin, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
• Hillary Blackburn, director of medication access and affordability at AscensionRx.
• Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist with For Hearts and Souls Free Medical Clinic in Hawaii.
• Raymond Pollak, a surgeon and transplant immunobiologist.

The new additions are expected to participate in the next ACIP meeting, which is scheduled for Thursday and Friday. CNN reported previous ACIP members have said that a review of new candidates, including their conflicts of interest, typically occurs before their appointment and takes two to three months.

Many of the pathogens linked to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are present on environmental surfaces, reinforcing the importance of environmental decontamination in healthcare settings. Hospital restrooms, in particular, require vigilant cleaning.

HAI transmission methods include toilet flushing, which generates microbe-carrying particles into the air, which then settle on nearby surfaces or follow air currents. Through flushing, restroom users may come into contact with aerosolized organisms or pathogens. A study published by the Journal of Hospital Infection measured HAI risk potential through aerosolized particles by different types and surfaces of hospital restrooms.

The experiment tested for harmful, bacterial pathogens in the restrooms of three different hospitals across touch sites, floors, and ceilings. The data provided evidence to inform restroom design, designation, and decontamination practices and also revealed potential HAI risks from healthcare toilets.

Surprisingly, hand-touch sites tested the cleanest, followed consecutively by ceilings and floors. Moreover, researchers found a difference in cleanliness between female, male, and unisex restroom toilets—with the most pathogens found in unisex restroom toilets, followed by male restroom toilets. Similar pathogens found on floors and ceilings suggested aerosolization during flushing.

Finally, the study reported higher levels of bioburden in patient restrooms, as opposed to staff and worker restrooms. Results indicated that cleaning frequencies should be increased in areas that tested for higher bioburden, such as in unisex and patient restrooms.