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3mo ago

RFK Jr. Revamps CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel Ahead of Key Recommendation Vote

Former advisers warn that replacing seasoned experts with appointees linked to vaccine skepticism undermines scientific oversight as the panel prepares to vote on COVID-19, flu, HPV, RSV and meningococcal guidelines.

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A general view of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia September 30, 2014. REUTERS/Tami Chappell/File Photo
U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Committee on Appropriations hearing on the Department of Health and Human Services budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 20, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo

Overview

  • Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on June 9, citing conflicts of interest and a need to restore public trust.
  • He named eight new advisers, including figures like Vicky Pebsworth and Robert Malone whose past statements have challenged vaccine safety and efficacy.
  • Dr. Fiona Havers, who led COVID-19 hospitalization data analysis at the CDC, resigned in protest after expressing doubts that data would be used with appropriate scientific rigor.
  • The ousted members published an essay in the Journal of the American Medical Association warning that the overhaul could roll back U.S. immunization achievements and jeopardize access to lifesaving vaccines.
  • The newly appointed committee is scheduled to meet later this month to vote on updated recommendations for COVID-19 boosters, flu, HPV, RSV and meningococcal vaccines.