WASHINGTON, D.C. – Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced he dismissed all members of a CDC advisory committee on immunizations. The secretary said he wants to restore public trust in vaccines, but some congressional members worry the Secretary could fill the positions with vaccine skeptics.
In an op-ed piece published in the Wall Street Journal, Secretary Kennedy announced he fired all 17 members on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
“ACIP is a collection of really interesting and smart people in the industry,” said Dr. Zaid Fadul, a primary care physician. “Clinicians, vaccine researchers, policy makers who come together and look at the evidence and they look at it all from their individual perspectives and they come together to collectively to make recommendations. They don’t set vaccine policy but typically their recommendations are adopted.”
The Secretary, a vaccine skeptic, said he removed all members to restore public’s trust in vaccines. Secretary Kennedy claims most of the panel members received substantial funding from pharmaceutical companies in order to help make their recommendations, but ACIP members are thoroughly screened for conflicts of interest and cannot be affiliated with any vaccine manufacturers. If members on the panel do have a conflict of interest, they are supposed to disclose it and recuse themselves from voting.
Primary care physicians we spoke with say recommendations from this small panel has a huge impact on vaccine policy.
“ACIP plays a pivotal role in safeguarding vaccine policy,” said Dr. Steven Goldberg. “Its guidance impacts immunization strategies, childhood immunization, seasonal influenza, adult vaccine schedules and also responds to emergency infectious disease threats. Public confidence in vaccines depends on the credibility, transparency and scientific rigor of advisory bodies like ACIP. Any changes in membership and potential restructuring in my opinion should be evaluated carefully so that the high regard of ACIP can be maintained.”
We’re told most of the panelists’ terms ended in 2028. Doctors we spoke with said the firings of all members is unusual.
The dismissals have caused mixed reactions on the Hill.
Republican Senator Bill Cassidy (R- LA), who is also a doctor, shared on social media “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.”
Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) said he is not concerned about the dismissals.
“I think he wants to start over,” said Sen. Kennedy. “I think what Secretary Kennedy is trying to do is rebuild the institution of public health in America. I support vaccines, I support good vaccines- I should say vaccines that work. I want to support objective advice, not political advice.”
