Doctors Alarmed at Removal of CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee, 8 New Members Named

On Wednesday, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. named eight new members to a crucial government panel of vaccine advisors, according to CNBC. His picks include some well-known vaccine critics, including Dr. Robert Malone, Retsef Levi, and Vicky Pebsworth. HHS said the committee will meet as scheduled on June 25-27. The rest for the currently named members include: Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, Dr. Martin Kulldorff, Dr. Cody Meissner, Dr. James Pagano, and Dr. Michael Ross.

Earlier this week, the HHS secretary dismissed all vaccine advisers on an expert independent panel that has guided the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine recommendations.

The 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) was let go because the secretary said the group was “plagued with conflicts of interest,” CNN reported.

The committee reviews vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and makes recommendations to the CDC on their use.

A HHS spokesman said the agency is prioritizing public health, evidence-based medicine, and restoring public confidence in vaccine science, Reuters reported.

“For generations, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has been a trusted national source of science-and data-driven advice and guidance on the use of vaccines to prevent and control disease,” said Dr. Bruce A. Scott, American Medical Association president. “Physicians, parents, community leaders, and public health officials rely on it for clinical guidance, public health information, and knowledge. Today’s action to remove the 17 sitting members of ACIP undermines that trust and upends a transparent process that has saved countless lives. With an ongoing measles outbreak and routine child vaccination rates declining, this move will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics President Dr. Susan Kressley said in a statement:

“The American Academy of Pediatrics is deeply troubled and alarmed by Secretary Kennedy’s mass firing of all 17 experts on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. This unprecedented action, against the backdrop of contradictory announcements from the Administration in recent days about vaccines, will cause even more confusion and uncertainty for families. 

“We are witnessing an escalating effort by the administration to silence independent medical expertise and stoke distrust in lifesaving vaccines. Creating confusion around proven vaccines endangers families’ health and contributes to the spread of preventable diseases. This move undermines the trust pediatricians have built over decades with our patients and leaves us without critical scientific expertise we rely on.
  
Children and families must be able to access the immunizations they need to stay healthy. Our vaccine infrastructure must include this critical step of nonpartisan, expert review and discussion of the science and clinical recommendations for individual vaccines. Families and children will be the ones to pay the price for this decision.”