Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has named eight new members to the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, replacing all 17 members he dismissed earlier during the week of June 8. Kennedy announced the firings on Monday, June 9, citing financial conflicts of interest and a need to restore public trust in vaccination policy.
He later told The New York Times that former President Joe Biden had appointed all dismissed members and that some had donated to Democratic campaigns.
Who are the new appointees?
The new members, all of whom are doctors or Ph.D. holders, include several individuals with controversial views on COVID-19 vaccines. Among the most prominent is Dr. Robert Malone, a former mRNA researcher who has promoted unproven COVID treatments and conspiracy theories. Another appointee, Dr. Martin Kulldorff, coauthored the Great Barrington Declaration, which opposed lockdowns and vaccine mandates.
Also named include Dr. Cody Meissner, a pediatric infectious disease expert and former FDA adviser; Retsef Levi, an MIT professor who has publicly warned against mRNA vaccines; and Vicky Pebsworth, a public health nurse affiliated with the National Vaccine Information Center, an organization widely considered to promote vaccine misinformation.
What are the qualifications and concerns?
While Kennedy described the panel as “highly credentialed scientists,” several public health experts have raised concerns. Critics argue that some appointees lack experience in immunology or have a history of spreading misinformation.
Dr. Paul Offit, a former panel member, said Kennedy’s move eroded trust in the medical community. Others, like vaccine law professor Richard H. Hughes IV, labeled several of the appointees as vaccine skeptics and warned of a potential shift away from evidence-based policy.
What is the impact on vaccine policy?
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) helps shape CDC vaccine recommendations. While Kennedy has promised not to alter the childhood immunization schedule, he has already overridden ACIP’s April votes on COVID-19 shots for children and pregnant women.
The next committee meeting is scheduled for late June, but no agenda has been released.
A spokesperson for HHS did not say whether additional appointees will be named. Under standard procedure, ACIP consists of 15 voting members and one consumer representative, each serving staggered four-year terms.
