Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts


What happened
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Monday dismissed all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's independent vaccine advisory committee, saying a "clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science."
Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist who had criticized the panel of experts, said he would pick the committee's new members.
Who said what
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices wields "enormous influence," carefully reviewing and debating vaccine data and voting on "who should get the shots and when," The New York Times said. Once the CDC director signs off on the recommendations, insurance companies and government health agencies are required to cover the vaccines, so an "advisory panel more closely aligned" with Kennedy's views could "significantly alter — or even drop — the recommendations" for childhood vaccines and other immunizations.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Kennedy has the authority to dismiss ACIP members, but doing so in this manner "suggests a political, non-substantive motive," UC Law San Francisco vaccine policy expert Dorit Reiss told The Washington Post. "This will not restore trust in vaccines, and is not designed to do so."
What next?
Kennedy's purge appears to contradict a promise he made to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) to "maintain" the ACIP "without changes," in order to secure his key confirmation vote. Cassidy said on X Monday that the "fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion," but he would "continue to talk" to Kennedy "to ensure this is not the case." Kennedy did not break his promise, Cassidy told reporters, because his commitment was to maintain "the process, not the committee itself."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
How potatoes became an 'unusual bellwether' in Russia's economy
Under The Radarp Spud shortages are pointing to a wider crisis in the nation's finances
-
7 food trails worth zipping along
The Week Recommends Take a bite out of the United States
-
Libraries are feeling the cost burden of e-book popularity
Under the Radar Certain states are working to change laws around e-book purchasing for libraries
-
Babies born using 3 people's DNA lack hereditary disease
Under the Radar The method could eliminate mutations for future generations
-
Not just a number: how aging rates vary by country
The explainer Inequality is a key factor
-
Scientists have identified 4 distinct autism subtypes
Under the radar They could lead to more accurate diagnosis and care
-
Children's health has declined in the US
The Explainer It's likely a sign of larger systemic issues
-
Cytomegalovirus can cause permanent birth defects
The Explainer The virus can show no symptoms in adults
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year high
Speed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Deadly fungus tied to a pharaoh's tomb may help fight cancer
Under the radar A once fearsome curse could be a blessing
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, change
Speed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system