Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is sworn in as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services at the White House, Thursday, February 13, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Joyce Boghosian.)
Newly confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is taking aim at members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in an effort to weed out conflicts of interest. Politico’s Adam Cancryn, Lauren Gardner, and David Lim report:
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is preparing to remove members of the outside committees that advise the federal government on vaccine approvals and other key public health decisions, according to two people familiar with the planning.
Kennedy plans to replace members who he perceives to have conflicts of interest, as part of a widespread effort to minimize what he’s criticized as undue industry influence over the nation’s health agencies, said one of the people, who were granted anonymity to speak freely. Kennedy has long argued that drugmakers have too much sway over the approval of their products.
The effort is likely to target the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which plays a key role in setting vaccine policy. Kennedy and his top aides are also scrutinizing a host of other outside panels, including those that advise the Food and Drug Administration.
Kennedy has only just begun evaluating the advisory committees, one of the people cautioned, and has not decided who or how many people will be replaced, or set a firm timeline for the removals.
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