Sweeping changes made by US health secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr (RFK Jr) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have weakened the country鈥檚 immunisation programme, according to dismissed members of a vaccine committee.
A known vaccine sceptic and believer in non-evidence-based medicine, RFK Jr fired the entirety of the CDC鈥檚 Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), members of whom are responsible for reviewing vaccine data and issuing official government recommendations on immunisations.
The health secretary swiftly replaced members with a new slate that includes vaccine sceptics and critics of Covid-19 countermeasures. There are also some individuals on the panel with no clear public health strategy experience.
鈥淭he abrupt dismissal of the entire membership of the ACIP, along with its executive secretary, on 9 June 2025, the appointment of eight new ACIP members just 2 days later, and the recent reduction of CDC staff dedicated to immunisations have left the US vaccine programme critically weakened,鈥� the former 17 ACIP members wrote in a in the medical journal JAMA.
RFK Jr removed the previous incumbents after alleging it had been 鈥減lagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine鈥�.
The axed ACIP members have defended the panel鈥檚 objectivity, writing that: 鈥淔or decades, members of ACIP have undergone a thorough application and review process to participate. Proposed members submitted letters of support from other known experts and peers, completed an interview process, underwent a background check, and disclosed financial interests that might be considered a conflict, including any professional or financial relationships of immediate family members.鈥�
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By GlobalDataIn the conflicts of interest disclosure for the JAMA article, members were transparent in previous payments received from big pharma or biotech companies. These include fees for speaking at conferences, grants for clinical trials, and pre-ACIP consulting activity.
As per the fired ACIP members鈥� description, the advisory committee is now at a 鈥渃rossroads鈥�. There is concern from across the industry as to what the future of the vaccine landscape looks like under US President Donald Trump鈥檚 Administration. The CDC panel shake-up was the most significant change RFK Jr has overseen since being in office.
鈥淲e view the complete line change at the ACIP as a potential hindrance to the vaccine development space, as we think the new Committee members may have more restrictive recommendations on vaccine uptake and use,鈥� said William Blair analyst Miles Minter in a research note.
The health secretary has already adjusted national recommendations for the Covid-19 vaccine, with the schedule now omitting pregnant women and children. Obstetric organisations have strongly opposed the changes. Observers note that the speed at which RFK Jr has changed the ACIP, along with the size of job cuts at the CDC, will put the US public at risk of infectious diseases.
鈥淎s former ACIP members, we are deeply concerned that these destabilising decisions, made without clear rationale, may roll back the achievements of US immunisation policy, impact people鈥檚 access to lifesaving vaccines, and ultimately put US families at risk of dangerous and preventable illnesses,鈥� the previous committee explained.
