RFK Jr. Dismisses Entire CDC Vaccine Panel, Appoints New Critics Amid Controversy
Major health bodies express concern over Kennedy’s sweeping shake-up of the CDC’s vaccine advisory board, citing risks to scientific credibility.
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Washington, June 12: RFK Jr. CDC vaccine panel overhaul has triggered sharp reactions across the U.S. medical community after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) this week. The decision, framed by Kennedy as a corrective measure against alleged pharmaceutical bias, marks an extraordinary reshuffling of one of America’s most trusted vaccine advisory bodies.
Kennedy’s Unorthodox Reshuffle Shakes the CDC
It’s not often that a federal health advisory panel sees its entire membership replaced in one stroke. But that’s exactly what happened earlier this week, when Kennedy, a long-time critic of vaccine mandates and pharmaceutical influence, cleared out the 17-member ACIP team that had served through both Democratic and Republican administrations.
Kennedy’s stated reasoning? He believes the committee had become too cozy with vaccine manufacturers and too quick to sign off on recommendations without adequate scrutiny. “We need a new standard—one based on rigorous science and independence,” he said in remarks on Monday. The implication was clear: the former ACIP, in his view, had failed on both counts.
The New Faces Around the Table
The new panel includes names that are likely familiar to those who followed the more contentious chapters of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chief among them is Dr. Robert W. Malone, a physician and researcher who helped pioneer mRNA vaccine technology but later became a prominent critic of how those vaccines were rolled out during the pandemic.
Also joining is Dr. Martin Kulldorff, a Harvard-affiliated epidemiologist and one of the authors behind the Great Barrington Declaration—a document that argued against broad lockdowns and favored targeted protection of vulnerable populations.
Others on the new panel include Dr. Cody Meissner, who served in previous iterations of ACIP and often raised caution about pediatric COVID vaccination, as well as Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, a psychiatrist, and Dr. James Pagano, an emergency room doctor. The group is notably more diverse in specialty but, according to critics, less grounded in vaccine-specific policy expertise.
Strong Pushback From Medical Organizations
Reactions from the health community have been blunt. Within 48 hours of the announcement, a coalition of major medical associations—including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)—released a joint letter urging the Biden administration to reconsider the shake-up. Some have gone further, suggesting that the Senate should intervene.
“There is a deep risk here of politicizing what has historically been an evidence-first, expert-driven process,” said Dr. Julie Morita, a former member of the CDC’s vaccine panel. “These decisions affect millions of children and families. You can’t throw out institutional memory and replace it with ideological balance.”
Legal, Procedural, and Public Trust Concerns
Although Kennedy is within his legal rights to remove and appoint ACIP members—the law gives HHS broad authority to form advisory committees—the scale and speed of this transition has raised eyebrows in legal circles. Normally, new appointees go through a public nomination process, vetting by ethics officials, and confirmation of academic credentials. This time, the timeline was compressed into just three days.
“I can’t recall a precedent for this,” said Lawrence Gostin, a public health law professor at Georgetown University. “It’s not illegal, but it’s definitely irregular. And it sends a signal that politics may now be playing a heavier role in scientific deliberation.”
What’s at Stake in the Coming Weeks
The timing is critical. The ACIP is slated to meet in Atlanta from June 25 to 27, with votes expected on recommendations for flu shots, COVID-19 boosters, HPV, and other vaccines. With only eight members now seated—the legal quorum—those votes can proceed, but observers warn that the committee’s credibility may already be in question.
“If recommendations from ACIP start diverging from mainstream scientific consensus,” warned Dr. Tom Frieden, the former CDC Director, “state and local health departments may start making their own calls. That creates fragmentation, confusion, and possibly lower uptake of life-saving vaccines.”
A Longtime Skeptic in a Position of Power
Kennedy’s stance on vaccines is not new. He’s long voiced doubts about the safety oversight of immunization programs and once chaired Children’s Health Defense, a group flagged by public health watchdogs for spreading misinformation. His family has distanced itself from some of his positions, with his sister, Kerry Kennedy, publicly stating in 2021 that “Bobby’s views do not reflect reality or science.”
Still, he now holds a cabinet-level post, backed by a White House executive directive aimed at reforming health institutions. And his supporters argue that he’s doing exactly what he promised: shaking up a system they believe has operated in the shadows for too long.
Looking Ahead
In the coming weeks, the spotlight will remain firmly fixed on ACIP and its next round of deliberations. Advocacy groups are already preparing for legal challenges if new vaccine guidelines appear to contradict established evidence. Meanwhile, a number of senators from both parties are calling for oversight hearings to examine whether Kennedy’s actions violated any ethical norms or endangered public trust.
Whether this marks the beginning of a more skeptical, conservative approach to federal vaccine policy—or a disruptive misstep with long-term consequences—remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the once-obscure world of vaccine advisory panels is now firmly in the political spotlight.
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