By Blessing Nweke
The administration of Donald Trump has formally appealed a federal court ruling that halted a controversial rewrite of the nation’s childhood immunization schedule led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr..
In a filing submitted Wednesday in the District of Massachusetts, government lawyers challenged an order issued March 16 by U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy. The judge had blocked changes introduced earlier this year, ruling that Kennedy unlawfully replaced members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory panel and froze all decisions made by the body.
The overhaul, announced in January, significantly reduced the number of recommended immunizations for children—from 18 diseases to 11. Vaccines for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), dengue and two forms of bacterial meningitis were among those removed from routine recommendations, sparking backlash from medical professionals.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and several other health groups sued the Department of Health and Human Services, arguing the changes violated federal law and undermined established scientific processes. Their lawsuit also challenged Kennedy’s appointment of 13 new members to the advisory committee, which the court ruling effectively nullified.
Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate signed the appeal. The Justice Department may seek emergency relief, asking the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to quickly pause the lower court’s order while the case proceeds.
Legal experts say the dispute could take months to resolve and may ultimately reach the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the advisory committee remains in limbo, with a postponed March meeting and no confirmed agenda for its next scheduled session in June.
Attorneys for the pediatricians say they are confident the ruling will be upheld.
Original article
Comments