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yesterday

RFK Jr. Overhauls CDC Vaccine Panel as Lawmakers Seek Delay for June Meeting

Doubts over the new panel’s expertise alongside the absence of a CDC director have fueled demands to pause the June 25-26 session.

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Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, speaks during a news conference following the Senate Republican policy luncheon at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. The House is scheduled to vote on a six-month spending bill that would make sure the whole government doesn't shut down, interrupting the fast start of President Donald Trump's second watch. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Illustration depicting a fictional board game with paths leading to various forts or castles that each have a symbol representing the various professional groups that will affect vaccine policy.
US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., (R) speaks with committee chairman Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican from Louisiana, before the start of a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing on the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Health and Human Services, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, May 14, 2025.

Overview

  • Kennedy dismissed the 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices this month before installing eight replacements including vocal critics of mRNA vaccines as well as professionals who have served as paid witnesses in vaccine litigation.
  • Sen. Bill Cassidy called for delaying the June 25-26 session until the panel is fully staffed with experts in microbiology, epidemiology or immunology alongside confirmation of a CDC director.
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren challenged several new appointees’ conflicts of interest in a letter to Kennedy, citing anti-vaccine publication revenue streams and prior paid testimony against vaccine manufacturers.
  • The ACIP meeting will vote on recommendations for COVID-19, RSV as well as influenza vaccines, with a focus on thimerosal-containing formulations.
  • With no Senate-confirmed CDC director in place, Secretary Kennedy retains final authority over ACIP recommendations, prompting experts to warn of reduced transparency as well as eroded public trust.