Robert F. Kennedy Jnr ousts CDC vaccine committee, pledges to replace with own picks
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jnr on Monday removed every member of a scientific committee that advises the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on how to use vaccines and pledged to replace them with his own picks.
Advertisement
Doctors and public health groups criticised the move to oust all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunisation 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, Georgia.
Although it is 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. '
Advertisement
Kennedy said the committee members had too many conflicts of interest. Committee members routinely disclose any possible conflicts at the start of public meetings.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
US-China trade showdown: where do the talks stand after Day 1?
Top officials from China and the United States are expected to start a second day of negotiations in London on Tuesday morning local time, as the two sides strive to de-escalate a stand-off over trade and technology that has sent shock waves across the global economy. No official statements were released after the first round of talks on Monday, which finished without a deal being agreed. But both sides have sent signals regarding their expectations. US Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, told CNBC that 'immediately after the handshake, any export controls from the US will be eased, and the rare earths will be released in volume, and then we can go back to negotiating smaller matters'. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, US President Donald Trump authorised the American delegation to negotiate away recent restrictions on the sale of advanced technologies and other products to China ahead of the London talks. The recent US export controls cover jet engines and related parts, though these were never publicly announced by Washington; design software Chinese companies need to make advanced microchips; and ethane, a component of natural gas that is used to manufacture plastics, the report said. China
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
US police prepare for hundreds of thousands to attend army parade in Washington
Police agencies are preparing for hundreds of thousands of people to attend a celebration in Washington for the US Army's 250th anniversary on June 14, US Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool told a press briefing on Monday. Advertisement McCool said thousands of agents, officers and specialists will be deployed from local, state and federal police agencies from across the country for security. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Metropolitan Police Department both told reporters there were no credible threats to the event. 'We're preparing for an enormous turnout,' McCool said. 'That is why we are leaving no stone unturned.' The event, which will coincide with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, includes an army birthday festival on the National Mall and will culminate with a parade through the capital and an enlistment and re-enlistment ceremony presided over by the president. Security preparations include 18.5 miles of anti-scale fencing, 17 miles of concrete barriers, 175 magnetometers and officers from federal, state and local agencies standing guard. There will be drones operated by the Secret Service, McCool said. Advertisement Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department said there will be major impacts to traffic, including road closures, around the National Mall, West Potomac Park and The Ellipse.
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
US police prepare for hundreds of thousands to attend army parade in Washington
Police agencies are preparing for hundreds of thousands of people to attend a celebration in Washington for the US Army's 250th anniversary on June 14, US Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool told a press briefing on Monday. Advertisement McCool said thousands of agents, officers and specialists will be deployed from local, state and federal police agencies from across the country for security. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Metropolitan Police Department both told reporters there were no credible threats to the event. 'We're preparing for an enormous turnout,' McCool said. 'That is why we are leaving no stone unturned.' The event, which will coincide with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, includes an army birthday festival on the National Mall and will culminate with a parade through the capital and an enlistment and re-enlistment ceremony presided over by the president. Security preparations include 18.5 miles of anti-scale fencing, 17 miles of concrete barriers, 175 magnetometers and officers from federal, state and local agencies standing guard. There will be drones operated by the Secret Service, McCool said. Advertisement Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department said there will be major impacts to traffic, including road closures, around the National Mall, West Potomac Park and The Ellipse.
