Outcry Over Kennedy’s Decisions May Harm U.S. Vaccine Programs

Decisions made by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., acting as Secretary of Health and Human Services, have been criticized for potentially compromising U.S. families to harmful and avoidable diseases. This conclusion comes following Kennedy’s recent testimony presented in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Capitol Hill that took place in the spring of 2025.

Earlier, in the same month, seventeen previous members who had served on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were discharged by Kennedy. The collective voice of these former ACIP members became public through an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). They sounded an alarm that the dismissals and subsequent questionable committee appointments have left the nation in a worryingly debilitated state.

As it stands, the ACIP is a gathering of independent researchers and health specialists who advise the CDC on the security and effectiveness of vaccines. Their guidance is then taken up by the agency director who decides whether to accept the recommendations. However, the recent lack of a permanant agency director means Kennedy himself has the final word.

Kennedy disclosed the dismissal of the prior committee in a public article earlier in June, citing the necessity of a complete turnover of the board to reconstruct public faith in vaccine science. Two days after making this declaration, Kennedy introduced eight new members to the board. This move sparked anxiety among several observers, especially due to the controversial backgrounds of the new members, amongst them vaccine skeptics and conspiracy theorists.

The updated ACIP members will congregate later this month to pass a vote on vaccine guidelines in relation to various diseases like COVID, HPV, the flu, RSV, and more. These protocols are deemed critical, as they shape the pathway for immunization providers across the U.S.

The previous seventeen members, who come from different health and science backgrounds, have indicated that the ACIP served as a reputable guide to vaccinations in the U.S for more than a half-century. As the acting body of government regulations that review the most recent evidence on vaccines and antibodies (like those against RSV), the ACIP has offered strong recommendations to the CDC on vaccine usage.

The actions of Kennedy to suddenly dissolve the previous board and immediately replace them, they say, has left an indelible mark of weakness on U.S. vaccine programming. This drastic shift has stripped the program of the foundational knowledge and sustained stability that has been key to its success over several decades.

The work done by the ACIP has been instrumental in providing beneficial service to American citizens. This sentiment is echoed by former board members who recognize that their past endeavors along with those of their predecessors over the last 30 years have significantly reduced cases of illness, avoiding around 32 million hospitalizations, and preventing approximately 1,129,000 deaths.

The authors of the op-ed finalized their argument with a deep-rooted concern that these unsteady decisions—made without a transparent justification—can reverse the progressive strides achieved by U.S. immunization policy. They fear this may influence people’s access to crucial vaccines and can jeopardize U.S. families by exposing them to risky and preventable diseases.

Alongside this collective outcry, another noteworthy occurrence took place. A highly regarded senior scientist at the CDC expressed her displeasure by relinquishing her position at the agency in protest against Kennedy’s recent maneuvers. Fiona Havers, a specialist in respiratory viruses and surveillance of nationwide outbreaks, has left the CDC over these growing concerns.

In her letter of resignation, Havers expresses her reasons stating, ‘I no longer have confidence that these data will be used objectively or evaluated with appropriate scientific rigor to make evidence-based vaccine policy decisions.’ It seems that her skepticism extends to not only the vacillation of policy, but also to the potential misuse or devaluation of data.

Kennedy, on his part, insists that these reformations are necessary to restore public faith particularly in health matters. However, survey data suggest that his narrative doesn’t sit well with majority of Americans. The trust factor that Kennedy hopes to build in the context of health, particularly vaccinations, is yet to gain traction amongst the public.

According to a recent poll conducted by Quinnipiac University, Kennedy is failing to win approval for his role as the HHS secretary. The report reveals that a mere 38 percent of voters endorse his performance to date, and an even larger portion, 53 percent, are not satisfied with his work.

An even more concerning fact is that a very small fraction of the population, about 5 percent, claim to trust his guidance when it comes to immunizations for themselves or their family members. This lack of faith in Kennedy’s leadership signifies a worrying trend for health matters, and a huge gap to bridge for the Secretary of Health.

Kennedy’s decisive actions, coupled with alarming resignation from the experienced scientist Fiona Havers, question the future direction of health policies in the U.S., specifically addressing vaccinations. As vaccination schedules are set to be deliberated upon this month, skepticism remains regarding the decision-making capacity of the reshuffled board.

The reshuffling of ACIP may have far-reaching effects on the U.S. health system, especially in the context of disease prevention. Only time will tell whether Kennedy’s decision to infuse new blood into the Advisory Committee will pay off or end up costing the American health system dearly.

The post Outcry Over Kennedy’s Decisions May Harm U.S. Vaccine Programs appeared first on Real News Now.

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