A new CDC vaccine advisory panel, entirely appointed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., met for the first time Wednesday, sparking alarm among public health officials. Kennedy dismissed all 17 prior members and replaced them with seven new appointees, some of whom have questioned mainstream vaccine guidance.
The panel, which helps shape U.S. immunization policy, will discuss COVID, RSV, and MMRV vaccines during its two-day session. Its agenda notably includes a presentation from Lyn Redwood of Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group Kennedy once led — a departure from standard practice.
Former CDC official Dr. Fiona Havers, who resigned in protest, warned the new panel could restrict vaccine access, resulting in preventable deaths. The American Academy of Pediatrics announced it will now publish its own vaccine guidance, citing a loss of confidence in the panel’s credibility.
“If people are sitting on this committee who start restricting vaccines and recommend that they are no longer given to certain groups of people, people will not be able to get these vaccines, and more people are going to die,” said Dr. Fiona Havers, a former CDC senior official who resigned from her position earlier this month in protest of Kennedy’s shakeup of the panel.
Committee chair Martin Kulldorff defended the panel, saying it would make “evidence-based recommendations” and not cater to all-or-nothing vaccine views.
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