Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., criticized Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for his controversial appointments to the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). This month, Kennedy dismissed all 17 existing members and replaced them with eight new appointees, including several known vaccine skeptics. Cassidy, who is a medical doctor and chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, expressed his concern that many new members lacked substantial expertise in microbiology, epidemiology, or immunology, particularly regarding new technologies like mRNA vaccines.
Cassidy had voted for Kennedy’s confirmation based on promises that ACIP would remain unchanged. He urged that the upcoming ACIP meeting, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, should be postponed until the committee is fully staffed with a diverse, expert panel, in accordance with legal requirements. He highlighted the absence of a CDC director to approve the committee’s recommendations, as Susan Monarez, nominated by Trump, is facing a Senate confirmation hearing on the same day as the meeting. This raises further concerns about the legitimacy and timeliness of the new recommendations, particularly after Kennedy unilaterally decided to no longer recommend the COVID vaccine for healthy children and pregnant women.
Despite criticism, an HHS spokesperson defended the new appointees as highly credentialed and committed to evidence-based medicine. The upcoming agenda for the ACIP meeting includes a discussion on flu vaccines containing thimerosal, a controversial preservative linked to debunked claims about autism—a topic Kennedy has previously promoted. Notably, since 2001, most vaccines in the U.S. either contain no thimerosal or only trace amounts, with the majority of flu shots available in single-dose formats.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
