In a move that has sent shockwaves through the public health community, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has abruptly dismissed all 17 voting members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) — a committee of independent scientific experts that has advised the CDC on vaccine use since the 1960s.
This unprecedented decision, carried out mere weeks before ACIP’s scheduled June 25–27 meeting, poses a direct threat to the transparent, evidence-based process that underpins vaccine guidance in the United States. And it deserves public scrutiny.
ACIP’s work is not political. It is not partisan. It is not based on personal beliefs or campaign promises. Its mission is to evaluate vaccines using a rigorous framework that weighs scientific evidence, public values, community health and cost-effectiveness. The committee’s recommendations help determine everything from school immunization requirements to what insurers cover under the Affordable Care Act and which vaccines are offered for free through the Vaccines for Children program. Their work impacts every American life quietly, responsibly and effectively.
And now, it’s been gutted.
RFK Jr. has not provided evidence of misconduct or conflict of interest to justify this purge. ACIP members are already required to disclose any ties to vaccine manufacturers and recuse themselves from relevant decisions. In fact, the CDC’s own conflict-of-interest records show that members have recused themselves from a handful of votes due to previous involvement in vaccine trials, a system working as intended.
So what exactly is the justification for removing them all?
There is none — at least not a transparent, science-based one.
This is not a routine leadership change. It’s a calculated dismantling of a public health institution that RFK Jr. pledged to protect. During his Senate confirmation process, he promised Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) — a physician himself — that he would not interfere with ACIP’s membership. That pledge was crucial in securing his confirmation, which passed by a razor-thin margin, largely along party lines. All Democrats and Independents, along with one Republican, voted against him. His sudden reversal raises serious concerns not only about his integrity, but also about the administration’s broader willingness to politicize health policy.
Even more troubling is the timing. Vetting new ACIP members usually takes months. RFK Jr. named eight replacements just days after firing the original panel. That kind of speed suggests premeditation and actions taken behind closed doors, without transparency, and without the input of Congress or the public.
And yet, even with those new appointments, the committee doesn’t have enough members for a quorum. RFK Jr. has effectively paralyzed the ACIP just as it prepares to weigh critical vaccine policy questions.
Let’s be clear: no individual, especially one without medical or scientific credentials, should dictate national vaccine policy by fiat. Yet RFK Jr. has already made declarative statements, such as saying COVID-19 vaccines will not be recommended for healthy children or pregnant women, decisions that belong to scientific review panels, not political appointees.
The Utah Public Health Association (UPHA), which has long worked to safeguard the health of our communities, put it best: “We must protect the integrity of science-based policymaking. Allowing unilateral decisions about vaccines, especially by individuals without medical or scientific training, undermines public health and puts Utah families at risk.”
They are right.
When politics intrudes on scientific governance, the consequences are not abstract. They are immediate and real. We risk losing public confidence in vaccine recommendations. We risk delays in getting life-saving vaccines to children and vulnerable adults. And we risk weakening our preparedness for future public health threats.
Our elected leaders, regardless of party, must demand transparency, reinstate scientific expertise to the ACIP and ensure that vaccine guidance in the U.S. remains grounded in evidence, not ideology.
Anything less would be a betrayal of the public’s trust and a dangerous gamble with our nation’s health.