In a sweeping and controversial move, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday dismissed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)—a pivotal panel that has long guided how vaccines are recommended and administered in the country.
Kennedy, a figure long associated with vaccine skepticism, announced the decision through both a Wall Street Journal op-ed and an official statement from the Department of Health and Human Services. He revealed plans to install an entirely new slate of appointees, though the identities of these replacements remain under wraps. According to Kennedy, the new panel will convene in Atlanta within the next two weeks.
A Clean Slate Sparks Fierce Backlash
The decision to remove the full advisory board, all of whom had been appointed during the Biden administration, was met with swift criticism from public health experts and major medical organizations. Many called the move unprecedented and warned it could undermine confidence in public health institutions.
While the ACIP traditionally operates as a nonpartisan body, Kennedy’s complete overhaul has introduced a sharp political undercurrent. Critics fear that replacing the committee en masse could erode the integrity of vaccine guidance in the U.S.
Kennedy Cites Conflicts of Interest, Calls for Transparency
In his op-ed, Kennedy justified the mass dismissal by accusing the panel of deep-rooted conflicts of interest. He described the ACIP as “little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine,” and claimed the board’s close ties to the pharmaceutical industry had compromised its ability to make unbiased decisions.
“Without removing the current members, the Trump administration would not have been able to appoint a majority of new members until 2028,” he wrote. “A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science.”
In a separate statement, Kennedy emphasized that the move was not driven by a specific stance on vaccines, but by a broader mission to restore public trust. “The public must know that unbiased science—evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest—guides the recommendations of our health agencies,” he said.
Kennedy’s appointment as the nation’s top health official has remained contentious given his long history of promoting vaccine misinformation. For over two decades, he has been a vocal critic of established vaccine science, drawing both legal scrutiny and public concern.
