Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Monday his intention to dismiss all members of the Scientific Committee, provide guidance to the Centers for Disease Control on vaccine usage, and appoint his own selections.
Key medical professionals and public health organizations have criticized the decision to remove all 17 members from the Advisory Committee on Vaccination Practices.
Kennedy stated he had not disclosed who would be appointed to the panel prior to assuming his role as the nation’s top health official, but that meetings would commence in Atlanta within two weeks.
While typically non-partisan, the current committee is entirely composed of appointees from the Biden administration.
“If the current members are not removed, the current Trump administration would have been unable to appoint a majority of new members until 2028,” Kennedy noted. Wall Street Journal Opinion Piece. “A clean slate is essential to restore public trust in vaccine science.”
When reached by phone, current committee chair Dr. Helen Kip Talbott of Vanderbilt University declined to comment. However, University of North Carolina member Noel Brewer mentioned that he and other committee members received an email regarding the changes late Monday afternoon.
“I assumed I would continue contributing to the committee for continuity,” remarked Brewer, who joined the panel last summer.
As a behavioral scientist, Brewer studies the factors influencing vaccination rates and strategies to enhance vaccination uptake. The recommendations from ACIP significantly shape what doctors suggest, impacting public vaccination rates.
“To this day, ACIP recommendations have set the standard for what insurance companies should cover, what providers should endorse, and what the public should understand,” he stated.
However, Kennedy has already made a contentious decision regarding Changes to Covid-19 recommendations, a move contested by numerous doctors and public health advocates without prior committee consultation.
“The future remains uncertain,” Brewer admitted. “Provider organizations are already beginning to distance themselves from ACIP.”
Kennedy cited excessive conflicts of interest among committee members. Currently, members are required to declare any potential conflicts that may arise during their term, which must also be disclosed at the beginning of each public meeting.
Conversely, Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the CDC and president/CEO of Resolve, contended that Kennedy’s justifications stem from inaccurate claims regarding conflicts of interest and warn that this could restrict vaccine access for millions, calling the situation “irresponsible.”
“Make no mistake. The politicization of ACIP, as Secretary Kennedy is pursuing, will erode public confidence rather than enhance it,” he stated. “This will be remembered as a grave error that jeopardized decades of scientific rigor and public trust.”
Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, described Kennedy’s sweeping expulsion as a “coup.”
“This is not how democracy operates, and it’s detrimental to the nation’s health,” Benjamin told The Associated Press.
He expressed genuine concerns about the fairness of future committee members. Benjamin also noted that the Public Health Association intends to closely monitor Kennedy’s actions.
“He’s gone back on his word,” Benjamin stated. “He said he wouldn’t take such actions.”
Dr. Bruce A. Scott, president of the American Medical Association, emphasized that the committee has been a trusted source of science-based recommendations, warning that Kennedy’s actions could contribute to declining vaccination rates and an increase in vaccine-preventable diseases.
“Today’s decision to remove 17 current ACIP members undermines the trust built through a transparent process that has saved lives,” Scott remarked in a statement.
Though Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy has voiced concerns about Kennedy’s nomination, he still voted to confirm him as National Health Secretary and indicated he would discuss his worries with Kennedy following the announcement.
“Naturally, I’m now concerned that ACIP may consist of individuals lacking relevant vaccine knowledge,” Cassidy expressed in a social media post. “I’ve spoken with Secretary Kennedy and will continue these discussions to ensure this isn’t the case.”
Since Kennedy’s appointment, the committee’s status has been in flux. A meeting that was scheduled for February was abruptly postponed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It was suddenly postponed.
Cassidy emphasized the need for assurance from Kennedy regarding the existing vaccine recommendations maintained by the committee.
The webpage listing committee members was taken down shortly after Kennedy’s announcement on Monday evening.
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Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Devi Shastri, and Mike Stobbe contributed.
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Source: apnews.com