• Five new members appointed to the CDC advisory panel have criticized vaccines.
• The panel will meet to discuss guidelines for COVID-19 and other vaccines.
• Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed previous members in June.
• Several new appointees have questioned established vaccine research.
• The new panel may alter vaccination policies significantly.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the appointment of five new members to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), reflecting a shift in vaccine policy perspectives. This appointment is timely, as the newly formed panel is set to convene this week to review guidance on vaccines, including those for COVID-19, hepatitis B, and measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV). Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. previously dismissed all 17 members of the committee, installing a smaller group where the new appointees are seen as advocates for controversial perspectives on vaccination, according to Reuters.

The newly appointed members include individuals with known critiques of vaccines. For instance, Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist, has publicly claimed that COVID-19 vaccines cause myocarditis at higher rates than the virus itself. He is joined by Catherine Stein, who has argued against campus vaccine mandates, and Evelyn Griffin, who has spoken out against adding COVID-19 vaccines to the school immunization schedule. These selections indicate a potential pivot in the committee's recommendations, especially regarding the evaluation of COVID-19 vaccines, according to Reuters, The Hill, and CBS News.

Secretary Kennedy emphasized that the new appointments demonstrate a commitment to "transparency, evidence-based science, and diverse expertise" amidst ongoing debates over vaccine policies. He indicated that the committee would likely vote on softening or eliminating certain vaccine recommendations in their upcoming meeting. This move follows Kennedy’s termination of the prior CDC director, who was perceived to resist the new committee's preferred direction, according to The Hill and CBS News.

Critics of the new appointees point to their histories of questioning the effectiveness of vaccines, sparking concerns among public health experts. The composition of this panel, which has included members associated with anti-vaccine movements, might lead to significant changes in federally recommended vaccine practices, according to Reuters, The Hill, and CBS News.