Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel

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.

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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."