The United States Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dismissed all 17 members of a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel of vaccine experts. Kennedy pledged to install new members of his choosing within weeks to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) panel.
The action has drawn widespread criticism from leading medical experts and scientists, who say it threatens to politicise a panel that has long been regarded as a neutral, science-driven body.
Kennedy, a known vaccine sceptic before assuming his current role, said, “Today, we are prioritising the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda.”
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Kennedy alleged the committee was plagued by conflicts of interest, claiming members had ties to pharmaceutical companies, though no specific evidence of misconduct or violations has been cited by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The mass ouster effectively removes all Biden-era appointees, preventing the current panel from remaining in place until 2028. “Without removing the current members, the current Trump administration would not have been able to appoint a majority of new members until 2028,” Kennedy wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece. “A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science.”
Dr. Tom Frieden, former CDC director and head of Resolve to Save Lives, called the firings “a dangerous and unprecedented action that makes our families less safe.”
Even Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician who had previously supported Kennedy’s nomination despite reservations, voiced alarm. “Now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled with people who know nothing about vaccines—except suspicion,” Cassidy said on social media, adding that he had spoken with Kennedy about his concerns.
The ACIP plays a critical role in shaping national vaccine policy. While the FDA approves vaccines for use, ACIP determines who should receive them and how they’re implemented. Its recommendations impact insurance coverage, school immunization requirements, and the Vaccines for Children program.
