Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dismissed all 17 members of the federal government’s vaccine advisory panel, effective Monday, June 9. Kennedy said he will soon install his own appointees.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Kennedy described the move as a “clean sweep” needed to restore public confidence. The move to prematurely remove the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, is unprecedented.
Why did Secretary Kennedy dismiss the vaccine advisory committee?
Secretary Kennedy wrote that the dismissals were part of an effort to put “the restoration of public trust above any pro- or antivaccine agenda.” He argued the committee was “plagued with persistent conflicts of interest.” He called it “little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine.”
In his op-ed, Kennedy claimed the panel “failed to scrutinize vaccine products given to babies and pregnant women” and has never recommended against a vaccine. To support his claims, he cited a 2000 House investigation and a 2009 HHS inspector-general report, which he said found weak enforcement of conflict-of-interest rules. Kennedy said that removing the Biden-era members now allows the Trump administration to seat a new majority before the 2028 election.
What is the role of the advisory committee?
ACIP advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how licensed vaccines should be used in the United States. The expert panel, traditionally composed of pediatricians, immunologists and epidemiologists, reviews data and makes recommendations for the public.
These recommendations inform the CDC’s official vaccine schedule, which in turn influences insurance coverage requirements under the Affordable Care Act. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, not the ACIP, is responsible for the initial approval of vaccines.
How have medical groups reacted?
Numerous medical and public health organizations condemned the decision. The American Medical Association stated the move undermines a transparent process and could fuel the spread of preventable diseases. The Infectious Diseases Society of America called Kennedy’s allegations “completely unfounded” and the dismissals “reckless.”
Some Republican senators spoke out. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana expressed concerns that the new committee could be comprised of “people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion.” A dismissed ACIP member told CNN the action will “fundamentally destabilize vaccination in America,” adding that the committee has a highly rigorous conflict-of-interest policy.
What happens next?
HHS says ACIP’s next scheduled meeting will proceed as scheduled from June 25 to 27 in Atlanta. This gives the agency approximately two weeks to select and vet an entirely new panel.
Kennedy wrote that new members “won’t directly work for the vaccine industry” and will “foster a culture of critical inquiry.” Legal and public-health experts, however, question whether such a rapid turnaround is feasible or safe for a committee that steers U.S. vaccine policy.
