Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed two new members to the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee amid ongoing legal and scientific disputes over federal immunization policy.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Jan. 13 appointed two physicians to the committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine policy, following recent changes to the federal childhood immunization schedule that were made without the panel’s input.
Kennedy named Dr. Kimberly Biss, a Florida-based physician, and Dr. Adam Urato, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Massachusetts, to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. In a statement announcing the appointments, Kennedy said the panel serves as “Americans’ watchdog for vaccine safety and transparency” and said the two doctors bring the scientific credentials and clinical experience needed for the role, according to an HHS announcement.
Biss is a senior fellow with the Independent Medical Alliance and has publicly criticized COVID-19 vaccines. Two other current ACIP members are also affiliated with the organization, which has publicly supported Kennedy’s actions reshaping the panel. In a news release, the alliance’s president, Dr. Joseph Varon, said the committee had previously been marked by conflicts of interest and described the new direction as a shift toward a patient-first approach.
Urato has also questioned prevailing vaccine assumptions. In a social media post last year, he wrote that vaccine science is not “long-settled,” and in another post said risks, benefits, and alternatives should be evaluated individually for each vaccine.
ACIP meets several times a year to review vaccine safety and effectiveness data and to advise the CDC on immunization guidance. Kennedy removed all prior members of the committee in 2025, citing conflicts of interest, and installed a new slate of advisers. Since then, the CDC has revised several recommendations, including scaling back COVID-19 guidance and ending a universal recommendation for hepatitis B vaccination for infants.
Earlier this month, the CDC narrowed the list of vaccines routinely recommended for all children without consulting ACIP, raising questions about the panel’s role. A senior HHS official later said the committee remains important and will continue to meet regularly, with vaccine schedules updated based on its recommendations.
The next ACIP meeting is scheduled for Feb. 25–26, with additional meetings planned later in the year.
Several medical organizations have sued the federal government, arguing that Kennedy’s overhaul of the panel violated federal requirements that advisory committees be fairly balanced and free from undue influence. A federal judge recently ruled that the plaintiffs plausibly alleged the panel lacks balance, allowing the case to proceed and prompting plans to seek a court order blocking the February meeting.
Original article
Comments