Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, change

Protesters in Georgia support vaccinations outside CDC vaccine advisory board meeting

(Image credit: Ben Hendren / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

published 26 June 2025

What happened

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's newly reconfigured vaccine advisory board held its first meeting Wednesday and signaled a more skeptical approach to the decades-old U.S. immunization system.

Who said what

ACIP members immediately "alarmed pediatricians" by "announcing inquiries into some long-settled questions about children's shots," The Associated Press said, including the "cumulative effect" of vaccines and a hepatitis B shot credited with nearly eliminating the liver-destroying disease in infants. ACIP recommendations guide insurance coverage and state vaccination requirements.

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It took "just minutes" for the "skeptical panelists" to signal their intention to "upend longstanding vaccine recommendations," particularly "those pertaining to children," The New York Times said. The "drama" started even before the meeting began, with Senate health committee chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) calling for its delay and an eighth member quitting the panel. CDC members were also informed that Kennedy had hired Lyn Redwood, a former president of the anti-vaccine group he founded, to work in the agency's vaccine safety office, The Washington Post said.

What next?

Redwood will present recommendations at today's ACIP session on a little-used flu shot that contains thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative removed from nearly all U.S. vaccines in 2001 that she, Kennedy and other anti-vaccine advocates have falsely linked to autism. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which took the unusual step of boycotting the meeting, said it would continue publishing its own vaccine schedule for children independently of the ACIP.

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.