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2mo ago

Kennedy’s Handpicked Vaccine Panel Bans Thimerosal Flu Shots, Backs New RSV Antibody

The panel’s votes hand Kennedy sole power to finalize contentious vaccine guidelines with no CDC director in place.

Lyn Redwood, a nurse practitioner who once led anti-vaccine organizations, presented on thimerosal in flu vaccines Thursday at a meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Atlanta, GA, USA - June 15, 2022: The David J. Sencer CDC Museum at the Edward R. Roybal campus, the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Overview

  • Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the previous 17-member ACIP on June 9 and appointed a seven-member group with known vaccine skeptics.
  • On June 26 the new ACIP voted 5-1, with one abstention, to recommend only single-dose, thimerosal-free influenza vaccines for all age groups and pregnant women.
  • The panel also endorsed Merck’s monoclonal antibody clesrovimab for infant protection against RSV, extending federal guidance for the upcoming season.
  • A CDC-prepared review affirming thimerosal’s safety was removed before the vote, and an anti-vaccine advocate delivered an unvetted presentation supporting its elimination.
  • Experts warn these shifts could drive up costs, reduce access—particularly in countries relying on multi-dose vials—and erode public trust in vaccines.