Vaccine Panel Gutted by Kennedy Loses a Member Ahead of First Meeting

New York Times

6 hours ago

Two weeks ago, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of an influential committee that recommends which vaccines Americans should get. He then named eight new members, at least half of whom have expressed some skepticism about vaccines.
By Tuesday night, the panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, was down to seven members.
Dr. Michael Ross, a physician licensed in Virginia who is a former professor of obstetrics and gynecology, withdrew from the committee. He was not included in the list of voting members posted on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday.
The new members were scheduled to meet on Wednesday and Thursday to evaluate data and vote on some new vaccines.
The panel's recommendations carry significant weight. Insurance companies and government programs like Medicaid are required to cover the costs of recommended vaccines, and states often base their mandates for school-aged children on the panel's decisions.
On Monday, Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, called for delaying the meeting until the committee was 'fully staffed with more robust and balanced representation — as required by law — including those with more direct relevant expertise.'
But the meeting is likely to go ahead as planned. The agenda includes some items associated with the anti-vaccine movement that were settled decades ago.
The panelists are expected to vote on flu vaccines that contain thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that Mr. Kennedy and others have falsely linked to autism. The presentation before the vote is scheduled to be made not by a C.D.C. staff member, as would be the norm, but by Lyn Redwood, a former leader of Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group Mr. Kennedy founded.
It is unclear why Dr. Ross stepped down from the panel. Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said on Tuesday afternoon that reports of members withdrawing from the panel were 'untrue' and 'completely false.'
On Tuesday night, Mr. Nixon amended his comments.
'Dr. Michael Ross decided to withdraw from A.C.I.P. during the financial holdings review required of members before they can start work on the committee,' Mr. Nixon said.
'The sacrifice to serve on A.C.I.P. varies from member to member, and we appreciate Dr. Ross's willingness to go through this rigorous process,' he added.
Some experts said they were unsurprised to hear that Dr. Ross was leaving the panel.
'Given the H.H.S. interference into the A.C.I.P. process and meeting agenda, it's no surprise to me that even members of this R.F.K. hand-selected committee would not feel comfortable participating in such an orchestrated event that bypasses scientific evidence and transparency,' said Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos, who resigned from the C.D.C. this month.