RFK Jr. Fires Entire CDC Vaccine Panel
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dismissed all 17 members of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), sparking backlash from public health experts. Kennedy, once a prominent anti-vaccine activist, defended the move by referencing a need to rebuild public trust and a need to eliminate what he described as persistent conflicts of interest. In a Wall Street Journal editorial, he wrote, “A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science.”
The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the firings and announced that the new ACIP will meet later this month. Kennedy has yet to name replacements, raising concerns that the new appointees may lack relevant expertise. Republican Senator and physician Bill Cassidy, who had supported Kennedy’s confirmation based on assurances the panel would remain stable, said on X, “Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion.”
Medical professionals and public health leaders were quick to criticize the decision. Dr. Bruce Scott of the American Medical Association warned that “this move will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses,” while former CDC Director Tom Frieden called the action “a dangerous and unprecedented” step that undermines decades of scientific progress. Critics say that Kennedy’s decision contradicts promises he made during his confirmation to preserve the panel and its role.
