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4h ago

JAMA Study Finds Vaccine Panel Conflicts Minimal Before Kennedy’s Overhaul

Reported ties to vaccine makers were rare through 2024 before Secretary Kennedy’s June replacements prompted lawsuits and congressional investigations.

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks during a press conference as new actions on the opioid 7-OH compound are announced, at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., July 29, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
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Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., at a news conference in Washington on July 14, 2025.

Overview

  • A JAMA analysis of 2000–2024 data found that since 2016 just 6.2% of ACIP members and 1.9% of VRBPAC members reported any conflict of interest at meetings.
  • Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all 17 Biden-appointed ACIP advisers in June, alleging pervasive industry influence, and installed eight new members including known vaccine critics.
  • The reconstituted ACIP has already recommended thimerosal-free influenza vaccines and begun a comprehensive review of the national immunization schedule.
  • Legal filings and inquiries by Senate and House committees challenge Kennedy’s overhaul, creating uncertainty over future federal vaccine guidance.
  • Researchers caution that HHS disclosure protocols and conflict waivers may exaggerate reported ties and that personal-income affiliations have been virtually eliminated.