RFK Jr. fires all 17 members of CDC vaccine advisory panel
"Today we are prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda," said Kennedy Jr., who has a history of controversial views on vaccines. "The public must know that unbiased science--evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest--guides the recommendations of our health agencies."
Kennedy Jr.'s decision marks a reversal from what a key Republican senator said the Trump Cabinet member had promised during his confirmation hearings earlier this year. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, the chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, said Kennedy had promised to maintain the committee's current composition.
"If confirmed, he will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes," Cassidy said.
The Biden administration appointed all 17 sitting committee members, with 13 of them taking their seats in 2024. According to Trump's HHS, those appointments would have prevented the current administration from choosing a majority of the committee until 2028.
"A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science," said Kennedy, adding that the new members "will prioritize public health and evidence-based medicine". and "no longer function as a rubber stamp for industry profit-taking agendas."
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