The replacement of all 17 ACIP members sparks concern among medical experts and prompts calls for Senate investigation.
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Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has appointed eight new members to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), just two days after removing all 17 previous members. The newly named appointees have drawn scrutiny for affiliations with vaccine-skeptical movements and controversial views on public health.¹
The new panelists are:
Kennedy announced the appointments via a social media post on X.¹
Among the appointees, Malone has promoted unproven COVID-19 treatments such as hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin and has questioned the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. He has also claimed—contrary to expert consensus and peer-reviewed literature—that he played a central role in inventing mRNA vaccine technology.¹
Another appointee, Pebsworth, has served on the board of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), a group widely criticized for spreading vaccine misinformation. A 2021 study by the University of Connecticut found that groups like NVIC often use emotional rhetoric to foster distrust in vaccines.¹
Kulldorff and Meissner were signatories to the 2020 Great Barrington Declaration, which opposed pandemic mitigation strategies such as masking and lockdowns. The declaration advocated for herd immunity through natural infection, a view widely rejected by public health agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic.¹
RFK Jr removed all 17 CDC vaccine advisory panel members and appointed eight new ones.
The AMA and other organizations called for a Senate investigation into the decision.
The administration aims to restore public trust but faces concerns about the effect on vaccine policy.
The American Medical Association (AMA) has adopted an emergency resolution urging a Senate investigation into HHS Secretary (RFK) Jr’s decision to dismiss all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The action occurred less than 24 hours after Kennedy announced the removals.2
The resolution, passed during the AMA’s annual meeting, calls on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee to probe the firings. It also urges Secretary Kennedy to reverse the decision and reaffirms AMA support for evidence-based, independent vaccine advisory bodies.2
Despite debate over the potential political consequences, the resolution passed by voice vote. Delegates from major physician groups, including the American College of Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, and others, co-authored the measure. Jason Goldman, MD, the ACP’s liaison to ACIP, introduced the resolution, citing assurances from HELP Chair Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La), that ACIP would remain intact.2
The dismissals followed a June 9 HHS announcement confirming a full reconstitution of ACIP. RFK defended the move as necessary to rebuild public trust and reduce perceived conflicts of interest. He emphasized that the prior committee’s composition, with 13 members appointed in 2024, could have locked in previous policies until 2028.3
ACIP, which advises the CDC on vaccine policy, has been a key source of independent, evidence-based recommendations. RFK has criticized its past operation and announced that new members will be installed ahead of the upcoming meeting scheduled for June 25–27, 2025.3
Public health leaders, including AMA President Bruce A Scott, MD, and APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin, MD, voiced concern about the move’s impact on trust and vaccine policy. The CDC has since removed the public listing of the ACIP members from its website.2
