RFK Junior removes all CDC vaccine panel experts

US Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Junior on Monday fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Vaccination of Disease Control and Prevention Centers, stating that this step would restore public confidence in vaccines.

About two-third panels were appointed in the final year of Biden administration, Mr. Kennedy announced his decision, saying that In an opinion column For Wall Street Journal.

CDC's vaccine consultants increase heavy impact. They carefully review the data on vaccines, argue the evidence and vote for who should get shots and when to get. It is necessary to cover insurance companies and government programs recommended by the panel.

The committee was It is believed to meet 25 to 27 June. It is not clear when the new members will be announced, but the meeting will be held move on As employed, according to a statement posted by the Department of Health and Human Services.

It is the latest in a series of tricks, which is created by a vaccine skeptical Mr. Kennedy to end the decades of policy standards for vaccination. An advisory panel with Mr. Kennedy's ideas is aligned more closely, with recommendations for vaccination for Americans, including childhood vaccinations – or even drop -drop ability.

This decision directly makes a promise that Mr. Kennedy made Louisiana's Republican, Senator Bill Cassidi during his confirmation hearing, when he said he said he would not change the panel, he would call the Advisory Committee on vaccination practices.

Senator Cassidi wrote on X, “Of course, now the fear is that ACIP will be filled with people who do not know anything about vaccines other than doubts.”

Public health experts strongly reacted to Mr. Kennedy's announcement, calling it an extreme and careless decision.

Chairman of the infectious Disease Committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics. Sean O'Lery said, “I don't think there is no way to keep it, besides saying that it is a public health disaster.”

Away from restoring the trust, this step will increase mistrust in vaccines, Dr. O'Leeri said. “Both parents and pediatricians are really confused with actions, and it is only making things worse.”

He said that the Pediatric Academy would continue to provide advice and recommendations for a vaccination schedule.

In 2009, Dr. working as acting director of CDC. Richard Besar said that Mr. Kennedy's decision was shocking and surprising at the same time.

Dr. Besar said, “Secretary Kennedy has not hidden his same anti-vaccine agenda.” “He, more than anyone in our country, has worked to reduce people's trust and trust in vaccines.”

He said, “With a sophisticated committee of individuals equal ideologies for secretaries, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, those who provide advice, are going to be in great trouble,” he said.

In the column, Mr. Kennedy said that he was “retired” to the members, and he repeated his constant criticism that the panel “is prone to frequent struggles of interests.”

“The public should know that fair science guides the recommendations to our health agencies,” he said. “This will ensure that American people get the safest vaccines.”

He wrongly stated that most of the members of the committee received enough money from pharmaceutical companies.

The idea that the decisions of the committee members are based on financial conflicts, “are factually incorrect, and you can see the record to see it,” Dr. O'Leeri said, which serves as a contact from the pediatric academy to the committee.

In fact, ACIP members are investigated for major conflicts of interest, and they cannot keep stock or serve on the advisory boards or bureau affiliated to the vaccine manufacturers.

President of Infectious Disease Society of America, Dr. Tina Tan said in a statement, “Secretary Kennedy's allegations about the integrity of the CDC's advisory committee on vaccination practices are completely baseless and will have a significant negative impact on Americans of all ages.”

“Unilaterally removing an entire panel of experts is careless, small and severely harmful,” he said.

If ACIP members have a conflict of interest – for example, if an institution works on, he receives money from a drug manufacturer – they reveal it and reuse themselves with the respective votes.

In his column, Mr. Kennedy claimed that 97 percent of the ACIP members had a lapse in financial disclosure forms. But statistical came From an Inspector General of Report in 2009Who It was found that there were errors in 97 percent formsSuch as missing dates or information in the wrong stream, not significant financial conflict.

“I think RFK Junior is a conspiracy theorist, and that is about this document,” Dr. Paul offt said, which acts as an advisor to the Food and Drug Administration.

“This is about unfair effects from Big Pharma,” Dr. The offt said. “This is a message that he has been putting there for the last 20 years.”

Mr. Kennedy also claimed that the panel worked secretly. He said, “To make cases worse, the groups informing ACIP meet behind the doors, violating the legal and moral principle of transparency to maintain the public trust,” they have written in the Journal's opinion article.

While individual work groups can meet privately, committee meetings, as well as material presented to members, Are publicMembers meet for several days, review safety and effective data on vaccines, debate policy and listen to the members of the public as well as experts.

Under the leadership of Mr. Kennedy, FDA has Narrow availability Adults 65 and Covid vaccines for adults with old and some underlying conditions.

Mr. Kennedy later announced that CDC will be No recommendation now Vaccines for healthy children or pregnant women, a decision that would usually come from the agency's ACIP ( CDC changed again Its recommendation for healthy children requires consultation with providers, but dropped it for pregnant women.)

These changes have confused future insurance coverage for shots, with scattered reports of pregnant women to get away from pharmacies. Some experts were hoping that the ACIP meeting scheduled at the end of this month would clarify the eligibility.

“If this vaccine is not being recommended, millions of people can lose access, pay more for vaccines and for stopping diseases, and children will be more at risk of diseases that we do not face in decades,” Dr. Thomas r. Freeden, who was a CDC director under President Barack Obama, said in a statement.

As the head of the Department of Health and Human Services, Mr. Kennedy has Billions of dollars cut For state health agencies including funds required to modernize state programs for childhood vaccination.

He also oversees the National Institute of Health, which Money stopped For researchers who study vaccines and Canceled program The intention is to discover new vaccines to prevent future epidemic.

The department has also finished work Develop an HIV vaccine And a contract for one Vaccine against bird flu,

Proposed budget of Trump administration for the upcoming financial year Ends funding For those programs that provide vaccinations for polio and provide lifetime vaccines worldwide.

New York Democratic leader Senator Chak Shumor condemned the decision to set fire to experts whose missions saved all Americans from the disease.

He said, “The vaccine does not build faith by wiping an entire panel of experts – it shatters it, and worse, it sends a chilling message: this ideology matters more than evidence, and more politics than public health,” he said.

Mr. Kennedy has the right to add or remove members of the CDC panel. Now, the Trump administration does not have to wait until 2028 until 2028, Mr. Kennedy wrote.

ACIP members usually serve over -excellent terms of four years. Members include epidemics, infectious disease physicians, pediatricians and vaccine specialists. According to a statement by the Health Department, the Biden administration appointed all 17 current members of the 13 nominated members last year.