HHS Secretary Kennedy jr. Announces Overhaul of Vaccine Advisory Panel

⁣ Updated June 09, 2025
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Robert F. kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and ⁣Human Services (HHS), announced⁣ Monday he will replace all⁣ 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization ‍Practices (ACIP). This dramatic step aims to address concerns about public trust in vaccine ⁢science and the vaccine advisory process.

Kennedy stated a “clean sweep is needed” to restore confidence in immunization practices. The⁢ ACIP advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on⁣ vaccine-related matters, including who should⁢ receive vaccines ⁢and whether insurers should cover them. Its members are ⁢medical and public health experts whose recommendations the CDC director must approve before they become official policy.

This overhaul is the latest in⁢ a series of moves by Kennedy regarding vaccinations. HHS has already stopped recommending routine COVID-19‍ vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women and‍ canceled programs focused on⁤ discovering new vaccines for future pandemics. ⁢Kennedy insists his priority is restoring public trust, setting it above any pro- or anti-vaccine agenda.

Kennedy suggested some ACIP members were last-minute appointees by the previous management. He also claimed ‍the panel has been plagued by conflicts⁤ of interest and⁤ has become a rubber stamp for vaccines. However,HHS agencies and advisory panels have policies in place to address conflicts of interest.

The announcement follows the resignation of Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos as co-leader of ACIP, citing concerns about her ability to help vulnerable populations.

“A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science.”

What’s next

HHS said ACIP will still hold its planned meeting from June 25 to 27 to make recommendations. It remains to be ⁢seen who Kennedy ‍will appoint to the⁢ new group and how thes changes will affect vaccine policy and public perception of vaccines.