The health secretary’s decision drew immediate criticism from the medical community. Credit: Lev radin / Shutterstock.com
The United States Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, dismissed all 17 members of the scientific advisory committee that counsels the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine use. “A clean slate is needed to restore public trust in vaccine science,” wrote Kennedy Jr in an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal, where he announced his decision.
The CDC webpage listing the members of the advisory panel was taken down on Monday 9 June, shortly after Kennedy’s announcement. “Vaccines have become a divisive issue in American politics, but one thing all sides agree on is that the United States is facing a crisis of public trust—whether in health agencies, pharmaceutical companies, or the vaccines themselves,” the health secretary wrote in the article.
Kennedy argued that blaming misinformation—including that which he himself has spread—and anti-scientific attitudes is a mistake, as in his view this overlooks “a history of conflicts of interest, persecution of dissenters, lack of curiosity and biased science that has plagued the vaccine regulatory apparatus for decades.”
“In the 1960s, the world looked to US health regulators for guidance, who enjoyed a reputation for integrity, scientific objectivity and a passionate defence of patient welfare. Since then, public trust has collapsed—but we will win it back,” he added.
All the committee members who have now been dismissed were appointed during Joe Biden’s presidency. “Without removing the current members, the present Trump administration would not have been able to appoint most of the new ones until 2028,” Kennedy wrote, claiming that the committee members had too many conflicts of interest.
Kennedy also faces conflicts of interest
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Democratic senators criticised Kennedy for having profited financially from his anti-vaccine activities and warned that he could continue doing so even as health secretary, citing an ongoing lawsuit against pharmaceutical company Merck.
Before taking office, Kennedy had spread falsehoods and unscientific claims, and called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revoke its authorisation of COVID-19 vaccines, which saved millions of lives and helped end the pandemic.
He has claimed that “there is no vaccine that is safe and effective” and has repeatedly called for further research into routine childhood immunisations, despite decades of real-world evidence proving they safely prevent disease. He has also asserted that vaccines cause autism and allergies. Kennedy is personally involved in a lawsuit against Merck over the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which is used to prevent cervical cancer.
Despite all of this, during his Senate confirmation hearing, Kennedy claimed: “I am not anti-vaccine.” He recently took the unusual step of changing COVID-19 guidance without first consulting the advisory panel.
Backlash from the medical community
The health secretary’s decision drew immediate criticism from the medical community. “For generations, the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP) has been a trusted national source of science- and data-based guidance on the use of vaccines to prevent and control disease,” said Bruce A. Scott, president of the American Medical Association, in a statement.
“Doctors, parents, community leaders and public health officials rely on it for clinical direction, public health information and insight. Today’s decision to dismiss all 17 current ACIP members undermines that trust and disrupts a transparent process that has saved countless lives. With an ongoing measles outbreak and declining rates of routine childhood immunisation, this move will only further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases,” he warned.
Dr Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, described Kennedy’s mass dismissal as “a coup”. “That’s not how democracies work. It’s not good for the health of the nation,” he said. According to Benjamin, the move raises serious concerns about whether future committee members will be seen as impartial. He added that Kennedy is acting contrary to what he told lawmakers and the public, and that the public health association intends to keep a close watch on his actions.
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