RFK Jr. ⁢Reshapes CDC Vaccine Advisory panel Amid Controversy

⁣ ⁢ Updated June 12, 2025

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of Health and Human Services, appointed ⁣eight new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee for immunization⁢ Practices (ACIP) on June‍ 11. The move comes just two days after the HHS terminated‍ all ⁤17 previous members of ⁣the vaccine advisory committee.

Kennedy stated the restructuring aims to restore public trust in vaccine science and ensure members are free from pharmaceutical company conflicts ⁤of interest. The new appointments are intended to bolster confidence‍ in childhood immunization and address concerns about vaccine safety.

Though, the decision has faced criticism from numerous medical groups. They argue that overhauling the ACIP could undermine vaccine confidence and pose a threat to public health. Some critics have pointed to past ⁣statements and views of several new committee members regarding vaccine safety.

The new committee is expected to review immunization recommendations and schedules⁣ for various vaccines, including⁢ those for COVID-19, influenza, respiratory⁤ syncytial⁢ virus, and HPV, at a meeting⁢ scheduled for June 25.

According to CNBC, several new members have⁣ previously shared anti-vaccine rhetoric or made unfounded claims⁤ about‍ vaccines. ‍Concerns ⁤have also‍ been raised regarding the expedited ‍vetting process for the new members, given the short timeframe before the upcoming meeting.

Kennedy defended the appointments in a post on X, formerly twitter, stating, “The slate includes highly credentialed scientists, ⁤leading public-health experts and some ‍of America’s moast accomplished physicians. All of⁤ these individuals are committed to evidence-based medicine, ⁤gold-standard science, and common sense.”

The‍ eight new ‍ACIP members are:

• Joseph Hibbeln, MD, psychiatrist and neuroscientist, former acting chief at the National Institutes of Health.
• Martin Kulldorff,MD,PhD,biostatistician and epidemiologist,formerly a professor at Harvard Medical School.
• Retsef Levi, PhD, professor of operations management at MIT Sloan School of⁢ Management.
• Robert Malone, MD, physician-scientist and biochemist.
• Cody Meissner, MD, ⁤professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine.
• James Pagano, MD, emergency medicine physician based in California.
• Vicky Pebsworth, PhD, RN, nurse leader and board member⁢ of the National Vaccine Data⁢ Center.
• Michael Ross, MD, clinical professor at George Washington University and Virginia ⁢Commonwealth University.

What’s next

The ‍revamped‍ ACIP faces the immediate task⁤ of‍ preparing ‍for its june 25 meeting, where ‍critical decisions regarding vaccine schedules and recommendations will be discussed. The public health community⁣ will be watching closely to see how the new committee navigates these complex issues.