Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. penned an announcement in the Wall Street Journal opinion section that he forced the “retiring” of all 17 members of a panel of crucial government vaccine advisors in a dubious attempt to "restore public trust in vaccines."
"Vaccines have become a divisive issue in American politics," he wrote, "but there is one thing all parties can agree on: The U.S. faces a crisis of public trust. Whether toward health agencies, pharmaceutical companies or vaccines themselves, public confidence is waning."
In fact, most Americans aren't divided on vaccines. A 2024 health survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania showed "28% of survey respondents mistakenly believed that COVID-19 vaccines have caused thousands of deaths, up from 22% in June 2021."
In the survey, about 66% of Americans viewed the COVID-19 vaccine as safe. Meanwhile, an exceptionally high number of Americans have faith in other vaccines, "MMR (81% safe, 83% effective), flu (81%, 75%), shingles (78%, 73%), and pneumonia (74%, 69%)."
Kennedy claimed, "Under my direction, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is putting the restoration of public trust above any pro- or antivaccine agenda. The public must know that unbiased science guides the recommendations from our health agencies. This will ensure the American people receive the safest vaccines possible."
To do that, he's removing all of the members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), claiming it's a "reconstitution" of the panel.
Kennedy revealed that usually, a president wouldn't be able to appoint new members until 2028 because they're appointed for a non-partisan four-year term. Under President Donald Trump, however, they're getting around it by eliminating everyone.
"ACIP evaluates the safety, efficacy and clinical need of the nation’s vaccines and passes its findings on to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention," Kennedy said. He claims that they all have conflicts of interest and have "become little more than a rubber stamp." They're required to disclose all conflicts of interest publicly, and it's displayed online.
Kennedy cited an investigation from 25 years ago to allege corruption.
“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,” Kennedy continued.
He concluded: "A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science. In the 1960s, the world sought guidance from America’s health regulators, who had a reputation for integrity, scientific impartiality and zealous defense of patient welfare. Public trust has since collapsed, but we will earn it back."
As CNBC explained, the agencies and advisory panels "have had rigorous policies for conflicts of interest, and there have been no related issues for years."
Yet, over the years, Kennedy has been criticized for his significant changes to immunization practices since taking over HHS. Meanwhile, scientists, public health experts, and physicians have been critical that Kennedy is undermining confidence in vaccines.
As one health policy expert previously told CNBC, firing the advisory committee could "produce politicized recommendations that highlight the harms rather than the benefits of shots."
For the overwhelming majority of Americans who believe in vaccines, the new panel's "recommendations could also create greater distrust in the CDC and Trump administration among scientists and public health experts."
