New Appointment to Vaccine Advisory Panel Sparks Controversy
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the appointment of a Maui pediatrician to a significant federal vaccine advisory panel on Monday. This pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Kirk Milhoan, has previously gained attention for using unapproved medications to treat Covid-19.
Milhoan, a pastor as well, offered ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine during free house calls in Maui, claiming to help prevent and treat coronavirus infections.
He joins four others on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at a pivotal time for public health. Earlier in June, Kennedy dismissed all 17 existing members of the panel that guides the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine matters, suggesting that a fresh start was essential to rebuild public confidence in vaccinations.
However, some of Kennedy’s appointments have sparked debate.
For instance, committee member Robert Malone has openly criticized Covid mRNA vaccines, attributing two child fatalities during a measles outbreak in Texas to “medical mismanagement,” though he provided no evidence to support his claims. He and Milhoan are part of a group perceived as anti-vaccine on the panel.
Milhoan’s stance on discredited Covid treatments has clouded his reputation in Hawaiʻi. At Calvary Church of South Maui, he did not enforce mask-wearing or social distancing during the pandemic, arguing that the church’s mission should persevere.
His approach drew criticism from local officials, including former Governor David Ige and former state health director Libby Char, who condemned his use of unapproved treatments.
Milhoan co-founded The Pono Coalition for Informed Consent, which labeled Covid vaccines as experimental and promoted untested drugs instead. In August 2021, the Hawaiʻi Medical Board filed a complaint against him and Dr. Lorrin Pang, the leading medical advisor for Maui County; however, the complaint was dismissed eight months later without any disciplinary action taken.
Recently, Milhoan participated in a hearing with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, voicing concerns against the vaccination of children and claiming that the Covid vaccine had led to heart problems in some pediatric patients he encountered.
He and his wife manage a nonprofit, For Hearts and Souls, that provides cardiac care to children lacking access to treatment globally. Milhoan also serves as a senior fellow at the Independent Medical Alliance, which, since March 2020, has endorsed questionable Covid treatments.
Milhoan maintains active medical licenses in several states, including Hawai‘i, Montana, Wyoming, and Texas.
In a response via email, Milhoan, who traveled to Washington, D.C. for his new role, declined an interview, mentioning a request from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for interview coordination through their media team. The media team did not reply to inquiries for comments.
Public Trust in Vaccines
The newly formed panel is convening amid a national decline in trust in standard vaccinations. A KFF-Washington Post survey recently revealed that one in six parents have delayed or skipped at least one vaccine for their children, aside from Covid or flu vaccinations.
The next meeting of the ACIP is set for Thursday and Friday, where discussions will include vaccines for Covid, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox. The committee has yet to vote on recommending this season’s Covid vaccinations.
Kennedy’s ACIP members expressed interest in reassessing guidance on hepatitis B vaccinations, which can lead to severe liver infections. The virus can be transmitted to newborns from infected mothers, with around 90% of infected infants potentially developing chronic infections. First licensed in the U.S. in 1981, the hepatitis B vaccine has been shown to be 85% to 95% effective in preventing chronic infections.
Vaccinations for newborns have yielded positive outcomes, with no recent studies indicating safety issues with administering the shots at birth, as noted by Dr. William Schaffner, a vaccine expert at Vanderbilt University.
In 1995, the government recommended that every child receive the chickenpox vaccine, which has drastically reduced cases and fatalities related to the virus. Chickenpox, while often a mild childhood ailment, can complicate into severe conditions like brain swelling or pneumonia, especially in teens and adults who contract it later in life.
The new committee members announced on Monday bring the total to twelve. They include Dr. Catherine Stein, an epidemiologist at Case Western Reserve University; Dr. Evelyn Griffin, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Louisiana; Dr. Hillary Blackburn, who focuses on medication affordability at AscensionRx; and Dr. Raymond Pollak, an organ transplant surgeon with expertise in immunology.
