From CNBC: 2025-06-09 17:31:00

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is retiring all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a move to restore public trust in vaccine science. Kennedy aims to appoint new members who will run the next planned meeting from June 25 to 27. He has also stopped recommending routine Covid-19 vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women.

Kennedy claims the ACIP has been plagued with conflicts of interest and has become a rubber stamp for vaccines. However, all HHS agencies and their advisory panels have strict policies for conflicts of interest, with no issues reported for years. The shake-up of the advisory committee could lead to politicized recommendations that highlight harms over benefits.

The ACIP has previously recommended more restricted use of vaccines than the FDA approved, such as with Merck’s HPV vaccine. While the FDA approved it for ages 9 to 45, the CDC only recommends it for ages 9 to 26 due to lower public health benefits in older age groups. Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos resigned as co-leader of ACIP, citing inability to help vulnerable populations.

Kennedy’s moves have sparked concerns among health policy experts who fear politicized recommendations could undermine public trust in vaccinations and the CDC. The reshuffling of the ACIP could potentially highlight harms rather than benefits of immunizations, leading to distrust in the CDC and the Trump administration. Kennedy aims to prioritize the restoration of public trust in vaccines above any pro- or antivaccine agenda.



Read more at CNBC: RFK Jr. removes all members of CDC panel advising U.S. on vaccines