RFK Jr. Replaces CDC Vaccine Panel Amid Agency Turmoil

In June 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all 17 members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), citing conflicts of interest and industry influence, and replaced them with a smaller group including several vaccine skeptics. This move has sparked widespread criticism from public health experts, former committee members, and politicians like Senator Bill Cassidy, who urged medical professionals to reject any forthcoming recommendations from the reconstituted panel due to concerns about its scientific legitimacy. The overhaul is part of Kennedy's broader agenda to reshape federal vaccine policy, exemplified by the controversial firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez, who resisted supporting Kennedy's anti-vaccine directives and was replaced by Jim O’Neill, a non-medical appointee with a history of promoting unproven COVID-19 treatments. These changes have led to turmoil within the CDC, including the resignation of several high-ranking officials and protests by staff, raising fears that the US vaccine program has been critically weakened. Critics emphasize that the safety of vaccines has been extensively evaluated and warn that the new advisory committee's review of childhood immunization schedules could undermine public trust in vaccination. Kennedy has dismissed allegations of political motives and conflicts of interest, asserting that CDC is in need of reform and that some current employees may no longer be fit to work there.