Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s CDC Overhaul 'Critically Weakened' US Vaccine Program, Say Ousted Experts
Fired vaccine experts warn that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s overhaul of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s key vaccine advisory panel threatens public health and undermines decades of immunization progress.
What Happened: Seventeen ousted members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices published a warning in the JAMA medical journal on Monday, condemning Kennedy’s abrupt dismissal of the entire panel on June 9.
Kennedy replaced them with eight new members, including vaccine critics Robert Malone and Retsef Levi.
“The abrupt dismissal of the entire membership of the ACIP, along with its executive secretary, on June 9, the appointment of 8 new ACIP members just 2 days later, and the recent reduction of CDC staff dedicated to immunizations have left the U.S. vaccine program critically weakened,” the former members wrote.
Why It Matters: Kennedy justified the overhaul to “re-establish public confidence in vaccine science,” claiming former President Joe Biden-appointed members had conflicts of interest without providing specific evidence.
The committee advises the CDC on immunization schedules after U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, directly influencing insurance coverage and vaccine policy, reported Reuters.
The panel shake-up compounds broader pharmaceutical industry disruption. The Trump administration terminated a $600 million Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) contract for mRNA bird flu vaccine development and removed COVID-19 vaccines from recommended schedules for pregnant women and children.
Kennedy’s broader healthcare restructuring eliminated 10,000 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services positions to save $1.8 billion annually.
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