RFK Jr. Removes All Members of CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel

[BumRushDaShow]

Last edited Tue Jun 10, 2025, 04:07 AM - Edit history (2)

Source: Bloomberg

June 9, 2025 at 4:11 PM EDT
Updated on June 9, 2025 at 6:23 PM EDT


The Department of Health and Human Services dismissed all 17 members that make up one of the main committees advising the US government on vaccine safety and policy, an unprecedented move to reshape a key scientific panel. "A clean sweep is needed to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science," Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Monday in an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal.

The group, known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, reviews the latest data and makes recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which typically implements them. The group's positions are influential and determine whether insurers cover shots, among other things.

Many of the members had received substantial funding from pharmaceutical companies, including vaccine manufacturers, Kennedy said in his commentary, without providing evidence. Committee members are required to declare potential conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from debates or votes on those products.

"The committee has been plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine," Kennedy wrote. Some committee members had no idea they had lost their positions until seeing the decision reported in the news, according to people familiar with the matter.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-09/kennedy-removes-all-members-of-cdc-panel-advising-on-vaccines?srnd=homepage-americas

---

No paywall (gift)

Just breaking. Short article at post time.

Article updated.

Original article/headline -

RFK Jr. Removes All Members of CDC Panel Advising on Vaccines

June 9, 2025 at 4:11 PM EDT


The Department of Health and Human Services is retiring the 17 members of a committee of government vaccine advisers, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Monday.

"A clean sweep is needed to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science," Kennedy said in an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal.

The group, known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, reviews the latest data and makes recommendations that determine whether insurers cover shots, among other things.

[Skittles]

1. JFC

[Strelnikov_]

4. JFC_cubed

This is the stuff that will get a lot of us killed.

[Karasu]

8. "A lot" is an understatement. I am of the stance that anyone who values their health and has the means to leave is 100%

correct to do so. RFK Jr.'s appointment was a hard line in the sand for me.

[Skittles]

10. HE literally wants to be the vaccine advisory authority

and HE is a fucking NUTCASE

[vapor2]

26. This PLUS removal of 14 million from Medicaid/Snap

[groundloop]

2. I suppose insurers will soon use this as cover to quit paying for vaccinations.

[sdfernando]

5. I am really glad I re-vaxed recently for

MMR & Polio and the COVID booster. I likely didn't need MMR & Polio, got all of those as a kid...but thought it prudent since is has been many decades except for COVID.

[Rebl2]

24. I think

insurer’s would prefer to pay for vaccines rather than pay for thousands of patients hospitalizations.

[Demovictory9]

3. To be replaced by 🤡 🤡 🤡

[progressoid]

6. Well, he might be partially right.

A clean sweep might reestablish public confidence in vaccine science.

Unfortunately, the people he replaces them with will do the opposite.

[stillcool]

7. public confidence

scarier by the day.

[Blues Heron]

9. Another sledge hammer blow to our country. These people mean business, must be stopped.

[Buddyzbuddy]

11. Maybe it would be better not to have the Dept. than to have lies perpetrated by it.

The Dept. gives the lies legitimacy. We then could eliminate Kennedy's position. I know it's easier said than done but we could bring it back with a new administration.
Maybe states could absorb some of the experienced genius researchers, temporarily so we don't lose everybody. Universities, hospitals and pharma could also help by creating additional positions to absorb teams.
It's just a thought. Which is more than I can say for Republicans and this administration.

[dickthegrouch]

12. How do we change incompetence into a malicious attack on each of us?

When are these threats from utterly deranged government "leaders" actionable by the rest of us?

This is so wrong. Why can't we fix it?

[hlthe2b]

13. GOD DAMN HIM TO HELL AND BACK AND REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT!!!!

[womanofthehills]

30. From what I'm seeing on the web

The majority of the CDC committee had ties to big pharma - grants from Pfizer, Moderna, Merck or worked in vaccine industry, or got consulting fees from vaccine companies.

He wants scientists who have never been funded by pharmaceutical companies.

I hate Kennedy’s views on Israel but I see no problem with this if he puts in top American scientists. Let’s see who he puts in.

It’s hard to find all the individual scientists let go but Dr Yvonne Maldonado is one who was let go and she had previously been employed by Pfizer.

[hlthe2b]

31. ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT. I've worked with members of that ACIP committee. They have gone through an intensely

rigorous process to preempt ANY conflict of interest. Of course they may have had partially funded work in the past--but they not only have to disclose it, but cannot be currently funded by pharmx on any related issue to serve on ACIP.

This, womanofthehills is absolute propaganda promoted by MAGA and RFK JR. I won't prejudge you for posting it, but YOU need to do your homework before buying into this absolute BULLSHIT.


https://www.cdc.gov/acip/disclosures/by-member.html

ACIP members are screened for conflicts of interest through a rigorous process, including mandatory disclosures at every meeting and recusal from deliberations and votes on related topics. Potential members are also screened before appointment, with those having significant vaccine-related ties at the time of application not considered.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Mandatory Disclosures:
At the beginning of each ACIP meeting, members must declare any potential or perceived conflicts of interest. This includes financial interests, business connections, or other affiliations with relevant organizations.

Recusal:
Members with declared conflicts of interest are instructed to recuse themselves from discussions and votes on topics related to those conflicts. This includes products from the same manufacturer or companies directly competing with the product in question.
Pre-Appointment Screening:
Candidates for ACIP membership undergo careful screening for potential conflicts of interest before being submitted for final consideration. This includes checking for direct employment or immediate family employment by vaccine manufacturers, patent ownership, or other conflicts that could compromise objectivity.
Transparency:
The CDC (.gov) has a tool available to the public that allows them to search for previous disclosures by ACIP members. /excerpt]

The link above allows you to review the disclosures of every single damned member of the committee, womanofthehills. Kindly take the time to inform yourself and stop promoting this RFK JR and MAGA anti-vaxxer/anti-CDC/Anti-Science BULLSHIT.

Here is from Trump's own first term Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams. He may have been an early Trumper, but he's telling you the truth that you need to read:

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/10143475659


You are welcome to PM me, if you would like more information from a highly informed and educated source, should you desire. I would certainly welcome working with you to avoid any continued "misunderstandings" about who this committee has been comprised of and how it has provided invaluable recommendations for many decades. They have truly acted to protect YOUR and all of our health and to ensure that insurance covers these critical vaccines. RFK JR is going to ensure that it does not continue in the future and you will join me in being devastated if that happens.

[lonely bird]

14. Bullshit!

Removal of that fucking asshole would do wonders to restore public confidence in vaccine science.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

15. Krasnov's death panel

[SouthBayDem]

16. Gift link missed equal sign

Better link

[BumRushDaShow]

21. Thanks!

Editing the LBN form content ends up stripping out any "|" or "=", which is a PITA (the latter especially with youtube videos too).

[Old Crank]

17. Here come more

Lawn and pool boys.

[generalbetrayus]

18. I just love getting medical advice from a heroin addict

who looks 20 years older than his actual age.

[womanofthehills]

19. To be fair - he's been a daily participant in AAA for 40 yrs

If your uncle and dad were both murdered you might take to drugs.

It’s not uncommon for new administrations to pick new people.

[generalbetrayus]

25. I'm a long-time member of the American Automobile Association, too.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[hlthe2b]

32. Me too. Can you tell me how they can afford to stay in business sending out enormous Life Insurance solicitations to

any and everyone in these big damned mailers 4 or more times weekly? I figure my membership was consumed months ago--just on postage and production of these packages I never open...

Frustrating, but I won't turn to heroin, I promise... (Couldn't resist)

[William Seger]

22. ... roadkill-eating, raw milk-drinking, sewer-swimming heroin addict...

[bmichaelh]

20. RFK Jr is anti-freedom

Lies and more lies.

He lied by giving fake assurances to Senator Cassidy.

https://www.rawstory.com/rfk-vaccines-2672337760/

He says he wants to assure confidence in vaccine science.

To some, they will never accept vaccines, ever.

I know people like him that are anti-vaxxer.

They believe there is no disease that can not be cured by some natural cure.

If someone wants a vaccine, it should be their personal choice.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

23. Maddow Blog-RFK Jr. breaks promise to senators, guts CDC vaccine panel of independent experts

Before his confirmation, the HHS secretary said he’d leave the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices alone. Now he’s doing the opposite.

That an unqualified, anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist is behaving like an unqualified, anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist is painfully predictable.

But the fact remains that 52 Senate Republicans were given an opportunity to protect Americans from RFK Jr. — and they failed spectacularly.

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-06-10T13:46:55.481Z

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/cdc-vaccine-panel-acip-rfk-jr-kennedy-rcna212007

In early February, when there was still some question as to whether or not the Senate would confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Sen. Bill Cassidy delivered a closely watched speech on the Senate floor. The Louisiana Republican, a physician by trade, not only endorsed the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist during his remarks, he offered assurances about the future.

“If confirmed, [Kennedy] will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — without changes,” Cassidy declared with confidence, pointing to assurances he’d received directly from RFK Jr.

Four months later, as NBC News reported, Cassidy has been proven wrong.

The 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s independent vaccine advisory committee are being removed from their posts, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Monday afternoon.

.....Complicating matters is the degree to which these new developments add to a radical and dangerous pattern. Indeed, Kennedy’s announcement came just days after pediatric infectious disease expert Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos resigned from her position as the co-leader of a CDC working group that advises outside experts on Covid vaccines.

In an email to colleagues, Panagiotakopoulos said, “My career in public health and vaccinology started with a deep-seated desire to help the most vulnerable members of our population, and that is not something I am able to continue doing in this role.”

Around the same time, The Associated Press reported that there’s some ambiguity as to who, exactly, is currently leading the CDC.

A New York Times report added:

Under Mr. Kennedy’s leadership, the F.D.A. has narrowed availability of Covid vaccines to adults 65 and older and Americans with certain underlying conditions. Mr. Kennedy later announced that the C.D.C. would no longer recommend the vaccines for healthy children or pregnant women, a decision that normally would have come from the agency’s A.C.I.P. ... He also oversees the National Institutes of Health, which halted funding for researchers who study vaccine hesitancy and canceled programs intended to discover new vaccines to prevent future pandemics. The department has also ended work crucial to developing an H.I.V. vaccine and a contract for a vaccine against bird flu.

As unsettling as the news has been, none of it is surprising. RFK Jr.’s anti-science reputation was well established long before Trump nominated him. That an unqualified, anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist is behaving like an unqualified, anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist is painfully predictable.

[louis-t]

27. "A clean sweep"?

Make sure you also throw out all the research and science. That way you can invent your own science and theories.

[multigraincracker]

28. He fears a new vaccine for Brain Worm.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

29. Bob aka RFK Jr. lied to Senator Cassidy

Link to tweet