• 17 former members of the CDC's vaccine advisory panel criticized their abrupt dismissal by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
• They warn that Kennedy's actions may weaken the U.S. vaccine program and risk public health.
• The new appointees to the panel include individuals previously critical of vaccines.

Seventeen members of a federal vaccine advisory committee recently dismissed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. argued that their removal has "critically weakened" the U.S. vaccine program. They expressed concern that Kennedy's actions could endanger public health by rolling back decades of immunization achievements, stating that these "destabilizing decisions" lack clear rationale, as reported in an editorial published in the Journal of the American Medical Association according to ABC News, Reuters, Los Angeles Times, and HuffPost.

The group contends that Kennedy's recent actions will undermine trust in the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), arguing that historically, U.S. health care providers and the public have relied on their recommendations for vaccinations. They highlighted that 99 out of every 100 children in the U.S. receive recommended vaccines by age two, showcasing the previous success of immunization policies, as noted in their op-ed featured in JAMA according to Le Monde and The Hill.

In an unprecedented move, Kennedy dismissed the entire panel and replaced it with eight new members, several of whom have previously questioned vaccine efficacy. Critics of this decision, including the ousted advisors, have noted that this shift raises concerns about conflicts of interest and the competence of the new panel, stressing the removal of institutional knowledge essential for sound public health decisions, cites ABC News, Reuters, and HuffPost.

The new committee is expected to meet soon to discuss vaccine recommendations, including for flu, COVID-19, HPV, and RSV, amid concerns that ongoing staff reductions within the CDC will hinder the group’s ability to quickly adapt to necessary factual decisions regarding vaccines. As the former panelists noted, these decisions significantly affect public health and safety, according to The Hill and Los Angeles Times.