Overview

• He announced plans to replace all 17 experts on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices after abruptly dismissing the existing panel.
• Kennedy accused the former members of undisclosed pharmaceutical conflicts despite ACIP rules requiring full transparency on industry ties.
• Critics including ex-FDA scientist Jesse Goodman and former CDC director Tom Frieden denounced the move as politically motivated interference in scientific review.
• The action follows Kennedy’s unilateral changes to CDC booster recommendations for children and pregnant women, highlighting his history of vaccine skepticism.
• Health officials warn the shake-up could erode public confidence in immunization and fuel outbreaks of preventable diseases at a time of falling vaccination rates.