Overview
- Kennedy dismissed all 17 existing Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices members and installed eight new advisers including Robert Malone and Martin Kulldorff
- Several appointees have little to no direct vaccine expertise or histories of spreading vaccine misinformation, prompting concern over the panel’s technical capacity
- Public health experts caution that revisiting established immunization schedules could lead insurers to reduce or drop coverage for key vaccines
- Kennedy described the overhaul as a move to eliminate conflicts of interest and demand definitive safety and efficacy data for vaccine approvals
- The reconstituted ACIP will hold its first meeting June 25–27 to review current vaccine recommendations under Kennedy’s promise of radical transparency