Latest news with #AdvisoryCommitteeonImmunisationPractices
eNCA
3 hours ago
- Health
- eNCA
RFK Jr ousts entire US vaccine panel over alleged conflicts
USA - US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced he was dismissing all current members of a key federal vaccine advisory panel, accusing them of conflicts of interest - his latest salvo against the nation's immunisation policies. The removal of all 17 experts of the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP) was revealed in a Wall Street Journal op-ed and an official press release. Kennedy, who has spent two decades promoting vaccine misinformation, cast the move as essential to restoring public trust, claiming the committee had been compromised by financial ties to pharmaceutical companies. "Today we are prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda," he said in a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services. "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." In his op-ed, Kennedy claimed the panel was "plagued with persistent conflicts of interest" and had become "little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine." He added that new members were being considered to replace those ousted - all of whom were appointed under former president Joe Biden. ACIP members are chosen for their recognised expertise and are required to disclose potential conflicts of interest. "RFK Jr. and the Trump administration are taking a wrecking ball to the programs that keep Americans safe and healthy," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in response. "Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion," Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a medical doctor who expressed concern about Kennedy's track record during his Senate nomination but ultimately voted in his favor, wrote on X. "I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case." - 'Silencing expertise' - The decision drew sharp criticism from Paul Offit, a pediatrician and leading expert on virology and immunology who served on the panel from 1998 to 2003. "He believes that anybody who speaks well of vaccines, or recommends vaccines, must be deeply in the pocket of industry," Offit told AFP. "He's fixing a problem that doesn't exist." "We are witnessing an escalating effort by the Administration to silence independent medical expertise and stoke distrust in lifesaving vaccines," added Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in a statement. Once a celebrated environmental lawyer, Kennedy pivoted from the mid-2000s to public health -- chairing a nonprofit that discouraged routine childhood immunisations and amplified false claims, including the long-debunked theory that the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine causes autism. Since taking office, he has curtailed access to Covid-19 shots and continued to raise fears around the MMR vaccine - even as the United States faces its worst measles outbreak in years, with three reported deaths and more than 1,100 confirmed cases. Experts warn the true case count is likely far higher. "How can this country have confidence that the people RFK Jr. wants on the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices are people we can trust?" Offit asked. He recalled that during US President Donald Trump's first term, several states formed independent vaccine advisory panels after the administration pressured federal health agencies to prematurely approve Covid-19 vaccines ahead of the 2020 election. That kind of fragmentation, Offit warned, could happen again. ACIP is scheduled to hold its next meeting at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta from June 25 to June 27. Vaccines for anthrax, Covid-19, human papillomavirus, influenza, Lyme disease, respiratory syncytial virus, and more are on the agenda.
NDTV
3 hours ago
- Health
- NDTV
US Health Secretary RFK Jr Fires Entire Vaccine Advisory Panel
Washington: US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced he was dismissing all current members of a key federal vaccine advisory panel, accusing them of conflicts of interest -- his latest salvo against the nation's immunisation policies. The removal of all 17 experts of the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP) was revealed in a Wall Street Journal op-ed and an official press release. Kennedy, who has spent two decades promoting vaccine misinformation, cast the move as essential to restoring public trust, claiming the committee had been compromised by financial ties to pharmaceutical companies. "Today we are prioritising the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda," he said in a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services. "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." In his op-ed, Kennedy claimed the panel was "plagued with persistent conflicts of interest" and had become "little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine." He added that new members were being considered to replace those ousted -- all of whom were appointed under former president Joe Biden. ACIP members are chosen for their recognised expertise and are required to disclose potential conflicts of interest. "RFK Jr. and the Trump administration are taking a wrecking ball to the programs that keep Americans safe and healthy," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in response. "Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion," Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a medical doctor who expressed concern about Kennedy's track record during his Senate nomination but ultimately voted in his favour, wrote on X. "I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case." 'Silencing Expertise' The decision drew sharp criticism from Paul Offit, a paediatrician and leading expert on virology and immunology who served on the panel from 1998 to 2003. "He believes that anybody who speaks well of vaccines, or recommends vaccines, must be deeply in the pocket of industry," Offit told AFP. "He's fixing a problem that doesn't exist." "We are witnessing an escalating effort by the Administration to silence independent medical expertise and stoke distrust in lifesaving vaccines," added Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Paediatrics, in a statement. Once a celebrated environmental lawyer, Kennedy pivoted from the mid-2000s to public health -- chairing a nonprofit that discouraged routine childhood immunisations and amplified false claims, including the long-debunked theory that the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine causes autism. Since taking office, he has curtailed access to COVID-19 shots and continued to raise fears around the MMR vaccine -- even as the United States faces its worst measles outbreak in years, with three reported deaths and more than 1,100 confirmed cases. Experts warn the true case count is likely far higher. "How can this country have confidence that the people RFK Jr. wants on the Advisory Committee for Immunisation Practices are people we can trust?" Offit asked. He recalled that during US President Donald Trump's first term, several states formed independent vaccine advisory panels after the administration pressured federal health agencies to prematurely approve COVID-19 vaccines ahead of the 2020 election. That kind of fragmentation, Offit warned, could happen again. ACIP is scheduled to hold its next meeting at the headquarters of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta from June 25 to June 27. Vaccines for anthrax, COVID-19, human papillomavirus, influenza, Lyme disease, respiratory syncytial virus, and more are on the agenda.
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Health
- New Straits Times
RFK Jr. removes entire vaccine panel, blasts 'Big Pharma ties' in Trump-style shake-up
WASHINGTON: US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced he was dismissing all current members of a key federal vaccine advisory panel, accusing them of conflicts of interest – his latest salvo against the nation's immunisation policies. The removal of all 17 experts of the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP) was revealed in a Wall Street Journal op-ed and an official press release. Kennedy, who has spent two decades promoting vaccine misinformation, cast the move as essential to restoring public trust, claiming the committee had been compromised by financial ties to pharmaceutical companies. "Today we are prioritising the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda," he said in a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services. "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." In his op-ed, Kennedy claimed the panel was "plagued with persistent conflicts of interest" and had become "little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine." He added that new members were being considered to replace those ousted – all of whom were appointed under former president Joe Biden. ACIP members are chosen for their recognised expertise and are required to disclose potential conflicts of interest. "RFK Jr. and the Trump administration are taking a wrecking ball to the programs that keep Americans safe and healthy," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in response. "Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion," Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a medical doctor who expressed concern about Kennedy's track record during his Senate nomination but ultimately voted in his favor, wrote on X. "I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case." The decision drew sharp criticism from Paul Offit, a pediatrician and leading expert on virology and immunology who served on the panel from 1998 to 2003. "He believes that anybody who speaks well of vaccines, or recommends vaccines, must be deeply in the pocket of industry," Offit told AFP. "He's fixing a problem that doesn't exist." "We are witnessing an escalating effort by the Administration to silence independent medical expertise and stoke distrust in lifesaving vaccines," added Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in a statement. Once a celebrated environmental lawyer, Kennedy pivoted from the mid-2000s to public health – chairing a nonprofit that discouraged routine childhood immunisations and amplified false claims, including the long-debunked theory that the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine causes autism. Since taking office, he has curtailed access to Covid-19 shots and continued to raise fears around the MMR vaccine – even as the United States faces its worst measles outbreak in years, with three reported deaths and more than 1,100 confirmed cases. Experts warn the true case count is likely far higher. "How can this country have confidence that the people RFK Jr. wants on the Advisory Committee for Immunisation Practices are people we can trust?" Offit asked. He recalled that during US President Donald Trump's first term, several states formed independent vaccine advisory panels after the administration pressured federal health agencies to prematurely approve Covid-19 vaccines ahead of the 2020 election. That kind of fragmentation, Offit warned, could happen again. ACIP is scheduled to hold its next meeting at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta from June 25 to June 27.
Hindustan Times
9 hours ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
RFK Jr. removes all members of CDC vaccine advisory committee
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday removed every member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) scientific vaccine advisory committee and pledged to replace them with his own picks. The move to oust all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices was condemned by major physicians' groups. Before becoming America's top health official, Kennedy was one of the nation's biggest anti-vaccine activists. RFK Jr has not yet revealed who he would appoint to the panel, but said that it would convene in just two weeks in Atlanta. '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, adding that "a clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science." Kennedy had recently said that the committee members had too many conflicts of interest. The panel members routinely disclose any conflicts at the start of public meetings. Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, termed Kennedy's mass ouster of the panel as "a coup". 'It's not how democracies work. It's not good for the health of the nation,' he told The Associated Press. Benjamin said that the move raises real concerns about whether the future members of the vaccine advisory committee will be seen as impartial. He said that Kennedy "is breaking a promise", adding that "he said he wasn't going to do this". Dr Bruce A Scott, president of the American Medical Association, called the panel a trusted source of science and data-driven advice, adding that Kennedy's move will increase the number of diseases that can be prevented by vaccines. '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. Kennedy Jr recently also took the unusual step of changing the Covid-19 recommendations, without first consulting the panel.
News18
9 hours ago
- Health
- News18
RFK Jr ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory committee
Washington, Jun 9 (AP) Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr 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. Major physicians 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. 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. 'A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science." Kennedy, in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, 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. The committee had been in a state of flux since Kennedy took over. Its first meeting this year had been delayed when the US Department of Health and Human Services abruptly postponed its February meeting. Kennedy recently took the unusual step of changing COVID-19 recommendations without first consulting the panel. The webpage that featured the committee's members was deleted Monday evening, shortly after Kennedy's announcement. (AP) RUK RUK First Published: June 10, 2025, 03:45 IST
