RFK Jr. Forms Controversial CDC Vaccine Panel, Pediatricians Reject Schedule

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has reshaped the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) by dismissing the previous 17-member panel and appointing a new seven-member group that includes several vaccine skeptics and critics, alarming pediatricians and public health experts. The new panel announced plans to reexamine long-settled vaccine issues, including the cumulative effects of the childhood vaccine schedule and how certain shots, such as hepatitis B and the combined chickenpox-MMR vaccine, are administered. This move has sparked concern that the panel may emphasize vaccine risks over benefits, as new guidance under Kennedy no longer recommends COVID-19 vaccines for healthy children or pregnant women. In response, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared the federal advisory process no longer credible and announced it would publish its own pediatric vaccine schedule independently. States like Illinois are exploring alternative vaccination initiatives to maintain public trust and credibility amid fears that federal standards may erode. Experts warn that these changes could have serious public health consequences, as vaccine guidance influences insurance coverage, public perception, and ultimately, the lives of vulnerable populations such as infants and seniors.