U.S. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr on Monday removed every member of a scientific committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to use vaccines and pledged to replace them with his own picks.
Major physicians and public health groups criticized the move to oust all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Kennedy, who was one of the nation’s leading anti-vaccine activists before becoming the nation’s top health official, has not said who he would appoint to the panel, but said it would convene in just two weeks in Atlanta.
Although it’s typically not viewed as a partisan board, the Biden administration had installed the entire committee.
“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. ”
Kennedy said the committee members had too many conflicts of interest. Committee members routinely disclose any possible conflicts at the start of public meetings.
Dr Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, called Kennedy's mass ouster "a coup.”
“It’s not how democracies work. It’s not good for the health of the nation,” Benjamin told The Associated Press.
Benjamin said the move raises real concerns about whether future committee members will be viewed as impartial. He added that Kennedy is going against what he told lawmakers and the public, and the public health association plans to watch Kennedy “like a hawk."
“He is breaking a promise,” Benjamin said. “He said he wasn’t going to do this."
Dr Bruce A Scott, president of the American Medical Association, called the committee a trusted source of science- and data-driven advice and said Kennedy’s move, coupled with declining vaccination rates across the country, will help drive an increase in vaccine-preventable diseases.
“Today’s action to remove the 17 sitting members of ACIP undermines that trust and upends a transparent process that has saved countless lives,” Scott said in a statement.
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a doctor who had expressed reservations about Kennedy’s nomination but voted to install him as the nation’s health secretary nonetheless, said he had spoken with Kennedy moments after the announcement.
“Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion,” Cassidy said in a social media post. “I’ve just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I’ll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case.”
The committee had been in a state of flux since Kennedy took over. Its first meeting this year had been delayed when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services abruptly postponed its February meeting.
During Kennedy’s confirmation, Cassidy had expressed concerns about preserving the committee, saying he had sought assurances that Kennedy would keep the panel's current vaccine recommendations.
Kennedy did not stick to that. He recently took the unusual step of changing COVID-19 recommendations without first consulting the advisers.
The web page that featured the committee’s members was deleted Monday evening, shortly after Kennedy’s announcement.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
43 Comments
Yubaru
Name any politician, from either side that hasn't broken a promise. Lying to the public is all a part of politics, and and anyone who says they are an "honest" politician is liar!
Blacklabel
then it was a partisan board.
wonder why it wasn’t “viewed” as such despite being one?
Underworld
What an idiot.
collegepark30349
This is just so ... I don't even know what to say. Considering what this man's family did to one of their own - Rosemary Kennedy, his aunt - it's no wonder his view of science is skewed.
Because the openings came up during his term. The Biden administration did not fire anyone or push them out.
There has always been public confidence except for a few fringe people. Unfortunately social media amplified their beliefs out of proportion. The people like this guy work to intentionally undermine confidence.
rainyday
America is really going down the toilet. I'm sorry for everyone in that country subjected to the whims of this clown show playing with your lives.
CaptDingleheimer
“That’s not how democracies work”….
That’s EXACTLY how democracies work. The executive branch is elected on a platform, and then they make changes to executive branch agency leadership to move their platform agenda forward.
As the article stated, Biden replaced the entire committee with his own picks.
But that doesn’t count, because he’s on the Blue Team. So it’s okay.
But were in a spot where “Democrats don’t like it” = “They’re ending democracy!”
Peter Neil
So if a person is elected by people who got mostly D’s in high school, if they finished, that’s a sad democracy.
The CDC is now run by quacks and hustlers. Hey, that’s democracy!
rainyday
I'm not an expert in the workings of this committee, but it seems that Biden, like previous administrations, simply replaced individual committee members when their terms expired.
That is substantively different from ignoring the normal process and instead simply kicking everyone off and replacing them in the middle of the term, for explicitly political purposes.
stormcrow
Not a very good photo of RFK Jr., is it?
He looks like a madman.
TokyoLiving
Typical MAGA attitude and conspiracy theorist dumb...
Once again, the MAGA regime is attacking science, health, education, the arts, freedom, self-determination, and democracy...
Meanwhile, China has discovered a cure for diabetes with stem cell therapy..
Who's growing? And who's finally sinking???
Some dude
Putting aside the scientific side of this, I imagine that governments around the world are going to be discussing restrictions on US citizens the next time a major pandemic or suchlike arises. Proof of vaccination at airports, and so on.
You're welcome to export your apple pie, Disney and so forth, but we can live without your self-inflicted disease epidemics, thanks.
rainyday
Not the photo's fault there.
Peter Neil
Worry about the words and deeds, not the photo.
virusrex
Cassidy has no power nor credibility left, RFKjr lied to his face to get his vote and will keep doing it because not matter what both say public health is not even remotely inside their priorities, RFKjr at least have the excuse of being completely incompetent to do this job, have no qualification and has recognized to be intellectually handicapped, but Cassidy is supposedly a doctor, so he had the responsibility to openly oppose these measures, but as expected he will not do anything.
HopeSpringsEternal
RFK with Trump's support is going to move the dial on US health, using science. For example, they are requiring actual placebo testing on upcoming Covid vaccines, that somehow were never required during the Pandemic.
RFK is busy getting crazy dyes and additives out of foods, enforcing scientific standards/see above in medical testing and shining a bright light on the corrupt Big Pharma Big Ag Big Food industrial "profit' complex
Jimizo
Putting conspiracy theorists with part of their brain eaten in positions of power is very stupid. This should be obvious.
You can keep the conspiracy theorists on side very easily - a laser pointer would entertain that shower.
GuruMick
People talking here about "partisan boards appointees " have forgotten that health and vaccines as part of health are science based.
At least they should be.
I can imagine conflicting interests with Big Pharma but one would at least hope appointees have a top notch science or medical degree, with runs on the board at esteemed institutions and Universities.
I dont think this is going to be the "new way " with the new lot, as yet unannounced.
Good luck America...you will all be flying down to Cuba for some real, fact based medical advice.
Bob Fosse
I don’t think anyone should be taking health advice from a felon who was convicted of drug trafficking.
Concerned Citizen
Good. Root out the corrupt big pharma lackeys from government.
HopeSpringsEternal
RFK helped deliver 1600 to Trump, as huge majority of voters support the MAHA agenda, taking on Big Pharma price gouging, lowering cost of drugs, challenging their testing empirical data (amazing how many vaccines subsequently pulled from distribution), healthier food, etc.
Some dude
All the people who are in favour of this move: I assume that next time you need medical help, you will refuse to do what your doctor tells you because you think they are a shill for Big Pharma, and you will instead do whatever some internet influencer tells you to do?
Jimizo
We are in an age of the very limited, unpopular, dishonest and stunted thinking that watching YouTube makes them more perceptive and educated than people who actually study.
Hopefully, this will pass.
That username, though.
Mr Kennedy has started with an answer, when he's supposed to start with a question.
grc
rainyday - hard to feel sorry for the people who voted in the outfit in the first place. The blame lies squarely with the voters, a criticism often levelled on these pages at the Japanese electorate
Some dude
We are in an age of the very limited, unpopular, dishonest and stunted thinking that watching YouTube makes them more perceptive and educated than people who actually study.
Hopefully, this will pass.
Well, look on the bright side. If it doesn't pass, the gene pool will sort itself out as these morons take the advice of "influencers" (who are far more likely to be morally compromised or corruptible than real scientists) and end up rendering themselves extinct. No loss to the world.
Blacklabel
So actually Joe cheated:
created 4 new positions on the way out and replaced 4 people before the end of their term.
virusrex
RFK promised not to disrupt the vaccine schedule not to disrupt the advisory committee, he did it anyway because he has no word and breaks promises with regularity.
You mean just doing again what what done during the Biden administration and that he eliminated just so he can say he did it? that is so transparent that only bring scorn.
That is what the actual experts and professionals on public health are complaining about, moving back the dial around 100-150 years back.
Which is ethically unacceptable the moment there is already proof of an effective and safe preventive measure in the available vaccines. This is as immoral as if a doctor developed a new way to take out the appendix and made a trial with half of the patients getting only a placebo surgery. Immoral and wrong.
No, he is not, he is terribly busy replacing dyes and additives irrespectively of safety based only on the naturalistic fallacy, and making food companies free to do as they please by eliminating all the different mechanisms the government had to check for safety, track problems with food and force them to do anything. His mantra is for now to trust food companies to do the right thing without the government making any intervention about it.
That is going to be very difficult since they just came to power and are doing their best to support pharmaceutical companies and reducing the protections for the public.
Which is his actual priority, not public health. The apparent benefits were there from the beginning, and the reduction of the rules and laws to constrict pharmaceutical companies are the actual new things, no longer randomized trials, AI automatic approval of new drugs, all to "streamline" profits while safety for the public is thrown away. Contaminated food that can't be tracked or recalled anymore because the government is leaving things to companies to control themselves.
rainyday
Not everyone in the US voted for this lunacy. Those people have my sympathy.
Trump voters who brought this chaos onto themselves not so much so.
HopeSpringsEternal
Trump's put together a world class health team, Dr. Oz and RFK leading the charge on reducing drug pricing by between 50% and 90% due to Trump's EO, even Senator Sanders of Vermont is on board, his signature issue
Whether drug pricing or vaccine safety, all Americans can agree lower prices and more safety a good thing, why RFK has millions loyal followers, who all ignore the Big Media "Smear" campaign $Funded by Big Pharma!
Peter Neil
Killing off science, that's what they're doing. The American Astronomical Society is holding its yearly meeting this week. The Administration ordered NASA and the National Science Foundation not to attend or make any presentations.
The crazies have taken over.
HopeSpringsEternal
Americans like the coming lower prices of drugs and added transparency of drug testing efficacy, including vaccines, except for Pharma $Lobbyists & $Executives
sunfunbun
No real surprise by anything people in this 'administration' does. As shown by the many problematic decisions being made, America is now run as less a democracy and more an autocracy as a fascist state.
The supporters sound exactly like the supporters of Hitler pre WW2. False narrative is obviously dangerous, and RFK, jr., a non believer in intellectual research and truth, being named health secretary would destroy better health care and anything related to it in America.
MAGA is inviting any country with saner views to catch and pass the US in research and technology, which is dependent on understanding the educational process and the desire to find truths. Because MAGA is all about narrative and lies, it most certainly destroys America's reputation as being a world leader in schools and education.
The uneducated will follow RFK's words and firings as a good thing, and nothing is more blatantly seen as false. Of all the dictatorial type decisions made by this administration, this one could well hurt America the worst, as health problems can and will increase as a consequence of the brain drain of top health officials, but perhaps more importantly, a lack of empathy and care from the government forcing difficulty of the American people ultimately getting proper health care.
Unequivocally, people who made it to the top of research and studies, who's intelligence is real, are there because they are dedicated to finding solutions and scientifically understand many things MAGA doesn't and incapable of having a clue.
Ignorance really isn't the bliss they think it is.
HopeSpringsEternal
Healthcare (including insurance), Housing and Energy are all serious components of the elevated inflation that's plagued the US (and the world), starting in 2021.
RFK and Trump policies will greatly bring down the price of drugs to US Citizens, because Trump has ordered via his EO that the US Govt. pay no more than any other industrialized country for drugs, including vaccines.
Americans have suffered high health costs for decades, that only got worse under Biden Admin, RFK leading the Trump charge to deliver results = Lower Pharma/Drug costs = Real $Results, Why Senator Sanders on board.
All the left does is Smear RFK with Big $Pharma backing, but Americans know that RFK is a true Health Fiduciary!
Blacklabel
yet the most number of total voters in US history, except that sketchy 2020 thing.
wallace
Why are American insulin prices the highest in the world?
The average national monthly health insurance cost for one person on an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan without premium tax credits in 2024 is $477. That is about ¥72,000.
virusrex
Not at all, he just took whoever prioritized personal profit over medical responsibility, instead of people with recognized careers and reputation he got a self described mentally incompetent that regularly lies for personal profit and people that have been repeatedly debunked by actual experts
Compared with what was done during the previous administration? no, that is completely false.
Which still means that the current government is doing a bad thing, easily proved the moment you could not refute any of the arguments that demonstrate how badly they are screwing the situation to support pharmaceutical companies, that means you recognized the arguments that refute your claims are right, so your claims are wrong.
The same as why McDonals have, people like unhealthy but easy things, so those that lie to them to tell them they are fine consuming those end up being very popular even id completely dishonest.
You still mean the "coming back" after Trump eliminated the same thing he is now pretending he came up, and no, automatic approval of new drugs without any random controlled trials for new things are not "added transparency" unless you mean transparently unsafe.
And since a lot of people are going to lose affordable insurance this is going to be worse.
Compared to the last administration? still not. Specially now that people will have to pay out of their own pockets because they will not have affordable insurance.
No, that is also completely false.
Pharmaceutical companies are very happy with RFKjr, no longer government subsidized research that would control patents on new drugs, no more vaccines that prevent people from getting much more expensive treatments, no more requirement for experts strict vigilance to confirm efficacy when new drugs are approved, no more deals with government backed affordable insurance, it is like a "become a millionaire game" but on extra-easy mode.
I mean, RFKjr is the person that smear himself the most, he is the one that argued to have a diminished mental capacity thanks to a brain worm that made him incompetent, he is the one that published a book that included his belief that microbes do not cause infections, he is the one promising things openly in public just to do the opposite when it becomes profitable. He is his own worst enemy.
Lionel Lyyn
Funny how people who voted for a president who give massive tax cut to corporations and rich individuals are screaming "BIG PHARMA". If they cared about greedy corporations, they wouldn't vote for the orange man...
Jay
It’s about bloody time someone had the guts to do this. For decades, the ACIP has been packed with so-called “experts” with deep ties to Big Pharma - rubber-stamping ever-growing vaccine schedules for children (we're up to SIXTEEN NOW, and increasing) with zero accountability. These are the SAME people who helped normalize pushing experimental shots on kids while pharmaceutical conglomerates raked in billions and faced no liability for harm. RFK Jr. removing all 17 members is a long-overdue reset. Of course the pharmaceutical industrial complex is panicking - they’re losing their grip on a rigged system that’s prioritized corporate profits over public health for FAR too long.
Jay
No, but it's always better to question a captured system than blindly obey a pharmaceutical conglomerate parrot like a trained seal. If trusting your health to trillion-dollar corporations with a criminal track record makes you feel smart, congrats - you’re the ideal customer, not a critical thinker, and I have some prime oceanfront property in Saitama to sell you.
virusrex
No guts necessary, just being shameless enough to oppose public health openly and bet the lowest common denominator will cheer on their own destrution.
Which conflicts of interestes were not reported? you keep making outrageous claims but never support any. Which is a consequence of not having the evidence of any wrongdoing, just that you believe it.
Demonstrably false, but people that completely ignore the system keep repeating this falsehood.
The CDC is not the one that approves vaccines that is the FDA, and the CDC do not recommend all the vaccines that the FDA approves, that simple fact demonstrate there is not "rubber stamping" as you falsely claim.
Zero experimental shots have been used on the public, much less on children, you had to recognize this claim you previously made is false when you could not find any argument to say any vaccine was considered experimental when used by the public, you just liked to call them so, but since you are not an authority that has no relevance.
That is still also false, companies do have liability for any product not safe and effective as it should be.
Because of the huge advantages they are getting in the current administration? not at all, these companies are also terribly happy. Vaccines eat their profits, no more vaccines means much more profit.
Jimizo
Watch out for that type.
They spam social media under multiple handles and even praise their own posts.
Garbage.
HopeSpringsEternal
EXACTLY = US Voters have Common Sense!
Big Pharma right up there with the Military Industrial Complex busy profiting from war, as RFK knows Trump's not bought and paid for, why he joined forces to take on these corrupt forces trying to control the US Govt.
Lower Pharma Prices and better drug testing = GOOD
rainyday
There is a valid argument to be made against that sort of capture, but what RFK is doing isn't an answer to it.
This is an endemic problem to certain types of expert panels where the subject matter (such as vaccines) is such that you need actual experts who understand it, but there is a pretty limited pool of people who possess sufficient expertise to be able to say anything useful about it. Such people are almost entirely drawn from the industry being regulated simply because that is where the jobs for them are, but those connections pose serious conflict of interest concerns.
The answer to that problem isn't to stack the agencies with a bunch of non-experts chosen solely for their willingness to parrot a pre-desired conclusion that some politician wants them to say ("vaccines are bad!") which seems to be what RFK is doing (though we don't know yet who the replacements will be it seems highly likely this is the plan). The solution is to have rules that weed out conflicts of interest while still having actual independent experts providing advice.