Vaccine & Cancer Panel Firings: What’s Next?
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is shaking up vaccine policy and cancer research. He’s dissolved the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the National Cancer Institute’s Board of Scientific Advisors, sparking urgent questions about future expert guidance and scientific funding. These actions directly impact public health, potentially altering vaccine recommendations and cancer research priorities. This decision raises concerns, given cancer’s status as a leading cause of death and vaccines’ historic life-saving role. News Directory 3 has the latest on these pivotal shifts. With changes expected, what specific direction will these critical health initiatives take? Discover what’s next …
HHS Secretary Kennedy Reshapes vaccine Policy, Cancer Research Boards
Updated June 11, 2025
(Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
In a move to reshape vaccine policy and cancer research oversight, health and Human Services secretary Robert F.
Kennedy Jr. has dissolved key advisory boards.Earlier this year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
dismantled the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Board of Scientific Advisors, comprised of 28 members.
Afterward, Kennedy fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which
advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccines.
These actions raise questions about the future of independant expert guidance in critical public health areas.
Cancer remains a leading cause of death in the U.S., and the NCI is a primary source of cancer research funding.Vaccines, from smallpox to COVID-19, have saved countless lives. The decisions made by Kennedy and HHS agencies
regarding vaccine policy and cancer research will significantly impact public health.
Kennedy aims to reshape the vaccine policy landscape by removing ACIP, which advises the CDC director on
vaccine use. For decades, ACIP’s guidance has relied on independent reviews of scientific research and expert
debate. While the CDC typically follows ACIP’s recommendations,they are not binding. The recommendations
inform the United States’ adult and childhood immunization schedules.
In a June 9 press release, HHS stated that Kennedy seeks to restore public trust in vaccine science. It remains
unclear who will replace the committee members, but concerns exist that kennedy may appoint individuals who
share his vaccine-skeptical views.The Department of HHS said ACIP will still meet June 25-27, but with new
membership.
Kennedy stated he wants to eliminate conflicts of interest among panel members. Though,Science reports
that a vetting process already exists. A review of current ACIP members reveals academics, a community health
center’s chief medical officer, a state public health official, and a family medicine practice owner. Kennedy
may view prior research funded by pharmaceutical grants or advocacy for childhood vaccinations as conflicts of
interest.
The NIH’s decision to dismiss the NCI’s board of Scientific Advisors followed a presidential executive order
calling for the reduction of “unnecessary” federal committees. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya cited this order.
The order also directed the HHS Secretary to end the Advisory Committee on Long COVID and the Administrator of
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to discontinue the Health Equity Advisory Committee.
The NCI’s Board of Scientific Advisors, comprised of leading cancer scientists, voluntarily provided expertise
on research priorities and input into NCI’s extramural programs. It is uncertain whether the remaining
National Cancer Advisory Board can maintain the same level of independence and expertise.
In addition to dissolving the advisory board, the NCI has faced staff terminations and programme closures. The
NCI communications team and employees in the Office of Advocacy Relations were largely terminated, and the NCI
Outstanding Investigator award program was canceled.
Further cuts are anticipated,as the NCI has been instructed to significantly reduce its contracts budget,
impacting clinical trial support,lab scientists,cancer registries,scientific databases,and lab equipment
repair services. The New york Times reports that at least 2,500 research grants across the NIH,
including the NCI, have been canceled or delayed, affecting cancer, vaccine advancement, and vaccination
outreach efforts.
What’s next
The composition of the new ACIP and the long-term impact of these changes on vaccine policy, cancer research,
and public health remain to be seen. The public health community is closely watching these developments.