Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are seeking briefings with staff from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the revamped vaccine advisory panel under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Representatives Robert Garcia and Raja Krishnamoorthi, both from California, reached out to CDC Chief Matthew Butzelli on Thursday to express their concerns about the Agency Advisory Committee on Vaccination Practices (ACIP).
They are requesting these briefings by Thursday, July 17, along with specific information and documents by July 24.
One major point of their inquiry is how the seven new panel members were chosen.
Kennedy had removed all 17 existing members of the panel last month, just weeks ahead of a scheduled meeting.
In an opinion piece, he stated that, “A clean sweep is needed to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,” while announcing the changes.
During the panel’s first meeting, members revealed plans to review the established childhood vaccination schedule, and notably decided not to approve some flu vaccines containing thimerosal, despite multiple studies confirming their safety—a move some believe favors anti-vaccine sentiments over expert guidance.
Garcia and Krishnamoorthi also raised concerns about the panel’s decision to not vote on updated Covid-19 vaccine recommendations ahead of the fall, even though these votes were initially prioritized on the agenda.
“As this newly politicized ACIP blocks the flu vaccine, elevates anti-vaccine rhetoric, and questions the traditional childhood vaccination schedule, Americans are demanding answers,” they stated.
On the same week, a lawsuit was filed against Kennedy, which involved the American Academy of Pediatrics, regarding what they called an “illegal and unilateral vaccine change.”
