Kennedy Vaccine Panel: Cassidy Criticizes Lack of Experience
- Bill Cassidy, R-La., is calling for a delay in the next meeting of a key federal vaccine advisory committee.
- Cassidy, a medical doctor and chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, supported Kennedy's confirmation.
- Kennedy recently replaced all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) ACIP with eight new members, some of whom are known vaccine skeptics.
Senator Bill Cassidy challenges HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine panel appointments, sparking controversy over the expertise of the new members. Cassidy, a medical doctor, is calling for a delay in the upcoming meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), expressing concerns that the appointees lack key scientific experience in microbiology, epidemiology, adn immunology. The senator’s criticism centers on the potential for biased vaccine recommendations due to the composition of the panel, especially regarding mRNA vaccines. Kennedy recently replaced existing CDC ACIP members, which raises questions about future vaccine policy decisions. news Directory 3 is following this story closely, with developments expected during the upcoming Senate confirmation hearing for the new CDC director, Susan Monarez. Discover what’s next as this story unfolds.
Cassidy Criticizes kennedy’s Vaccine Panel Choices, cites Lack of Expertise
Updated June 24, 2025
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., is calling for a delay in the next meeting of a key federal vaccine advisory committee. Cassidy voiced concerns Monday over Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent appointments to the panel, citing a lack of relevant expertise among the new members.
Cassidy, a medical doctor and chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, supported Kennedy’s confirmation. However, he says that support was based on assurances that Kennedy would not alter the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an influential group that shapes vaccine recommendations and the childhood vaccination schedule.
Kennedy recently replaced all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) ACIP with eight new members, some of whom are known vaccine skeptics. The panel is scheduled to meet this Wednesday and Thursday.
Cassidy took to X, formerly Twitter, to express his concerns. He stated that while the appointees have scientific credentials, many lack meaningful experience in microbiology, epidemiology, or immunology. He also noted a potential bias against new technologies like mRNA vaccines.
“Wednesday’s meeting should not proceed with a relatively small panel,and no CDC Director in place to approve the panel’s recommendations,” Cassidy wrote. “The meeting should be delayed until the panel is fully staffed with more robust and balanced representation-as required by law-including those with more direct relevant expertise.”
The role of CDC director remains vacant, with Susan Monarez, President Trump’s pick, awaiting a Senate confirmation hearing this Wednesday. In the absence of a director, Kennedy has been approving ACIP recommendations. Last month, he announced that the COVID vaccine would no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant women, a decision made without ACIP input.
HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon previously defended Kennedy’s ACIP picks, stating that the new panel includes highly credentialed scientists, leading public-health experts, and some of America’s most accomplished physicians committed to evidence-based medicine.
The draft agenda for this week’s ACIP meeting includes a discussion and vote on flu vaccines containing thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative used in some vaccines. Kennedy has long promoted the debunked claim linking thimerosal to autism.
Since 2001, most U.S. vaccines contain no thimerosal or only trace amounts. Multi-dose flu shot vials are the primary remaining source, though single-shot packaging is now common.
What’s next
the Senate confirmation hearing for Susan monarez as CDC director is scheduled for Wednesday. The outcome of this hearing and any potential delay in the ACIP meeting will likely influence the future direction of vaccine policy and recommendations.