Five New Members Named to Vaccine Advisory Panel Ahead of Key Meeting

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK) on Monday named five new members to the panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine policy.

The additions come ahead of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting this week to review guidance that could further reshape the federal vaccination policy on shots for hepatitis B, measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV), and COVID-19, Reuters reported.

In June, RFK removed all 17 ACIP members and replaced them with eight vaccine skeptics. One nominee stepped down during the vetting process due to a conflict of interest, leaving seven. With the five new appointments, the committee will now have 12 members. The new members also have questioned aspects of COVID-19 policies and vaccinations.

Newly announced committee members include:

• Catherine Stein, an epidemiologist and professor at Case Western Reserve University.
• Evelyn Griffin, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
• Hillary Blackburn, director of medication access and affordability at AscensionRx.
• Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist with For Hearts and Souls Free Medical Clinic in Hawaii.
• Raymond Pollak, a surgeon and transplant immunobiologist.

The new additions are expected to participate in the next ACIP meeting, which is scheduled for Thursday and Friday. CNN reported previous ACIP members have said that a review of new candidates, including their conflicts of interest, typically occurs before their appointment and takes two to three months.