United States Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. ordered the sack of all 17 members of a committee at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that issues official government recommendations on immunizations. Kennedy announced the move in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal and said that the reason for undermining trust in vaccinations was conflicts of interest on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. He added that he wanted to ensure that Americans receive the safest vaccines possible.
In response, health experts and doctors have condemned the health secretary’s questioning of the safety and efficacy of several vaccines. However, during his Senate confirmation hearing, he stated that he did not intend to remove them from the market. Kennedy argued that he would replace the panel with his picks. Yesterday, he mentioned that he was retiring all ACIP panel members and prioritizing the restoration of public trust over any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda.
Eight out of the seventeen panelists were appointed in January 2025, during the final days of then-President Joe Biden’s term. The majority of the members are practicing doctors and experts associated with major university medical centers. Kennedy stated that if he didn’t remove the committee members, Trump couldn’t appoint a majority until 2028. He mentioned that the committee has been inundated with ongoing conflicts of interest and has been reduced to little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine.
Kennedy’s reorganization of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices represents the latest effort by the Trump administration to alter US health practices, at times promoting ideas that diverge significantly from the prevailing scientific consensus on topics such as fluoride and vaccination.
Conflicts of Interest
Bill Cassidy, a GOP senator from Louisiana, stated that he received assurances from Kennedy that the ACIP would remain unchanged. On June 9, Cassidy posted on X. It is now a concern that the ACIP may be comprised of individuals who possess limited knowledge regarding vaccines, aside from harboring suspicions. He added that he had just spoken with Kennedy and would continue to communicate with him to ensure this was not the case.
Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion. I’ve just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I’ll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case.https://t.co/iXjTDieAwY
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) June 9, 2025
Members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices are required to disclose conflicts of interest, which are posted online, and recuse themselves from voting on decisions where a conflict of interest may exist. The Health Secretary stated that the issue isn’t necessarily the corruption of ACIP members but instead that they likely aim to serve the public interest as they perceive it.
Dr. Bruce Scott, president of the American Medical Association, stated that the removal of members undermines a transparent process that has saved several lives. Scott said that with an ongoing measles epidemic and the declining rates of routine childhood vaccinations, this action will further exacerbate the proliferation of vaccine-preventable diseases.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has convened a meeting scheduled to begin on June 25, during which members are expected to vote on recommendations for vaccines against coronavirus, meningococcal disease, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and various other illnesses. The HHS stated that the ACIP will convene its next meeting on June 25-27. During this period, the FDA approves vaccinations intended for public use, while the ACIP examines statistical data in public meetings to inform its recommendations on a vaccine.
