RFK Jr Vaccine Advisors: Meet the New Team
- health secretary, has appointed eight new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) after dismissing the previous 17 experts.
- Kennedy announced the new appointments via social media, stating, "All of these individuals are committed to evidence-based medicine, gold-standard science, and common sense.
- The ACIP advises the CDC on vaccine distribution, effectively determining which vaccines are accessible to americans.
Robert F.Kennedy Jr. has shaken up the CDC‘s vaccine advisory panel, appointing eight new members to the ACIP. This significant move sees kennedy replacing previous experts with individuals holding diverse perspectives on vaccine safety and the role of the primary_keyword. The new team includes a mix of seasoned professionals and voices critical of existing vaccine policies,sparking broad discussions about the future of vaccine recommendations. Find out more at News Directory 3. These appointments follow the dismissal of the prior committee, raising questions about potential biases and the future direction of vaccine policy. Discover what’s next …
RFK Jr. Names new Vaccine Advisers to CDC Panel
Updated June 14, 2025
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. health secretary, has appointed eight new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) after dismissing the previous 17 experts. The new panel includes individuals who have voiced concerns about vaccine safety and efficacy, and also those with limited expertise in the field.
Kennedy announced the new appointments via social media, stating, “All of these individuals are committed to evidence-based medicine, gold-standard science, and common sense. They have each committed to demanding definitive safety and efficacy data before making any new vaccine recommendations.”
The ACIP advises the CDC on vaccine distribution, effectively determining which vaccines are accessible to americans. CBS News reported that kennedy also removed career officials responsible for vetting ACIP members and overseeing the advisory group.
New Vaccine Advisers
The new appointees include:
- Cody Meissner: A pediatrics professor at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Meissner previously advised the FDA and CDC. He co-wrote an editorial criticizing mask mandates for children and is listed as an external adviser to ACIP on the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) committee.
- Vicky Pebsworth: A nurse and former consumer representative on the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, Pebsworth is also the Pacific regional director for the National Association of Catholic Nurses. In 2020, she identified herself as the volunteer research director for the National Vaccine Facts Center (NVIC), an anti-vaccine advocacy organization.
- Retsef Levi: A professor of operations management at MIT Sloan School of Management, Levi opposed Covid-19 booster shot approval in 2021. He co-authored a preprint paper alleging that people who took the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine were more likely to die than those who received the Moderna vaccine.
- Michael A. Ross: described as a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University and Virginia Commonwealth University, Ross’s name does not appear in faculty directories for either school as 2017. He is also listed as a partner at Havencrest Capital Management.
- Joseph R. Hibbeln: A California-based psychiatrist and former acting chief for the section of nutritional neurosciences at the NIH, Hibbeln is an expert on omega-3 fatty acids.
- James Pagano: an emergency medicine physician from Los Angeles, Pagano is described as a strong advocate for evidence-based medicine.
Other experts named to the panel include Dr.Jay Bhattacharya and Dr. Vinay Prasad.
Dr. Kathryn Edwards, former chair of the FDA’s vaccine advisory panel, told CBS News that Meissner is an infectious disease expert who understands the risks and benefits of vaccines.
What’s next
The new ACIP members are expected to begin their advisory roles immediately, influencing future vaccine recommendations and policies.