Overview

• On June 9, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee and named eight replacements including critics who have challenged vaccine safety data.
• Sen. Bill Cassidy and Sen. Elizabeth Warren urged postponement over the appointees’ limited experience in epidemiology and potential bias, but the panel met on June 25 after obstetrician Dr. Michael Ross withdrew during ethics review.
• In its first session, the reconstituted ACIP reviewed COVID-19 vaccine data, deliberated on RSV immunizations and slated debate on thimerosal use in flu shots.
• New co-chair Dr. Martin Kulldorff pledged to apply evidence-based medicine in forming recommendations despite ongoing conflict-of-interest scrutiny.
• ACIP’s decisions will guide CDC endorsements and insurer coverage of vaccines, underscoring the political impact on future public health policy.