Senate Probes Kennedy's Overhaul of CDC Vaccine Panel

Senate Democrats are investigating Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s firing of all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), with concerns that the new appointees—many being prominent vaccine skeptics like Dr. Robert Malone and Lyn Redwood—could undermine public trust in immunization programs. The new ACIP has announced intentions to review longstanding childhood vaccine schedules, potentially impacting established vaccinations for diseases such as hepatitis B and polio. Kennedy claimed the firings were due to conflicts of interest among the prior panel, but has not provided supporting evidence or transparency about the new members' vetting. The probe comes as vaccine-preventable diseases are resurging in the U.S. and after a bipartisan investigation was blocked by the committee’s Republican chair. Senate Democrats, led by Bernie Sanders, have requested detailed documentation from Kennedy by August 12. The investigation highlights concerns over the future of science-based vaccine policy.