Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior said on Monday He is “retired” All 17 members of an important government panel of vaccine advisors, a shocking step that can help doubt about vaccination in the US
“A clean sweep is required to re -establish public belief in vaccine science,” Kennedy said. public In the Wall Street Journal on Monday.
Kennedy is removing all members of the commentary committee on vaccination practices, or ACIP, which recommends disease control and prevention centers. The group reviews the vaccine data and recommends which determines who is eligible for shots and whether insurers should cover them between other efforts.
ACIP members are independent medical and public experts who make recommendations on the basis of rigorous scientific reviews and evidence. The CDC director has to sign those recommendations to become an official policy.
It is not clear who will appoint Kennedy in the new group. In a release, HHS stated that ACIP will still hold a planned meeting from 25 to 27 June to make recommendations. A person acquainted with the case, who requested oblivion to speak independently about the case, told CNBC that the new members would run the meeting.
Advisor overhaul is the latest step by Kennedy – a major vaccine skepticism – to change and potentially reduces vaccination in the US as it takes hull in HHS. Under Kennedy, HHS stopped recommending regular Kovid -19 vaccines for healthy children and healthy pregnant women and Canceled program Among other changes, the intention is to discover new vaccines to prevent future epidemic.
Kennedy said on Monday that HHS would “restore the public trust above any supporter or antivasin agenda”.
Kennedy said that some members of the committee were appointing the final-matches of the Biden administration and said that, without excluding advisors from the current group, the Trump administration would not be able to appoint most new members by 2028.
Kennedy claimed that the panel “has been plagued by constant conflicts of interests and is slightly exceeding the rubber seal for any vaccine.”
But all HHS agencies and their advisory panels have rigorous policies for conflict of interest, and there are no related issues over the years. All members of the federal vaccine advisory committees are required to follow the rules about disclosing possible struggles of interest in advance.
This announcement was a pediatrician infectious pathologist Dr. Lakshmi Panagyotakopolos has occurred a few days after Acip’s co-leader resigned as she is because of the belief that she is “no longer able to help the weakest members of the US population”.
Health policy expert Was told earlier A shake-up of the CNBC’s advisory committee can produce political recommendations that highlight the loss rather than the benefits of shots. Those recommendations can cause more mistrust in CDC and Trump administration among scientists and public health experts.
ACIP has also investigated vaccine products in the past, contrary that the data of Kennedy and other Trump administration has argued. In some examples, the group has recommended more restricted use of vaccines than their approval under Food and Drug Administration.
For example, the FDA approved the HPV vaccine of the merc for use in women and men at the age of 9 to 45 years. But CDC Only recommends Its use in patients between the ages of 9 to 26, as the vaccine has less public health benefits at the age of 27 to 45 years.
, CNBC’s Angelica Pables contributed to this report.
