CDC Vaccine Panel Fired
CDC Vaccine Panel Fired
On June 10, 2025, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a group that has helped shape U.S. vaccine policy for over 60 years.
This sudden purge, framed by Kennedy as a way to “restore public trust,” has sent shockwaves through the medical community. Trusted institutions like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the American Medical Association warn the move could destabilize vaccine guidance, endanger public health, and inject politics deep into medical decision-making.
Why It Matters
The ACIP wasn’t just a group of bureaucrats. These were epidemiologists, pediatricians, public health experts—people who’ve dedicated their lives to keeping outbreaks at bay and protecting the vulnerable.
Removing them in one sweeping gesture not only undermines decades of institutional knowledge, it also sets a dangerous precedent: that science can be bent or broken to fit political agendas.
As of today, there is no clear replacement. No public plan. No roadmap for how national immunization guidance will continue without scientific consensus.
Quote to Remember
“You don’t have to believe in science for a virus to believe in you.”
— Anonymous CDC employee (resigned)
The Bigger Picture
This is part of a broader effort to remake public health policy in the image of a new administration. COVID-19 guidance for children and pregnant women is being rolled back. Agency heads are being replaced. Public health messaging is being rewritten.
And it’s happening fast.
Eyes Wide Open
How do we hold leaders accountable when they fire experts and rewrite the rules?
What happens when trust in science is sacrificed for political performance?
Share your thoughts in the comments:
What should the role of scientists be in public decision-making?
Do you trust the new direction the CDC is being pushed toward?
Read background coverage:
Vox: RFK Jr. fires CDC vaccine panel
Reuters: Experts warn this undermines vaccine confidence
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