Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Director of Health and Human Services (HHS), is steering a new course in federal vaccine policy that aligns with anti-vaccine views, raising concerns about previously settled issues.
During a Senate confirmation hearing, Kennedy insisted that his approach wouldn’t undermine vaccinations. He stated, “I’m not going to go to HHS and impose my pre-determined opinions on anyone in HHS. We can work with HHS scientists to ensure that there’s solid, evidence-based science.”
In a two-day meeting this week, Kennedy’s advisory panel on vaccines announced intentions to investigate how effective childhood and adolescent vaccine schedules are, along with considering new recommendations related to vaccines that have been available for some time.
Martin Kruldorf, the new chair of the committee and a former Harvard professor, remarked, “Not all vaccines are strictly good or bad. There are no topics that are off-limits.”
The panel also voted to effectively eliminate certain ingredients from flu shots, which anti-vaccine proponents, including Kennedy himself, have criticized.
This decision wasn’t reached unanimously, as two out of seven members either abstained or voted against the plan to only suggest thimerosal-free flu vaccines.
Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner, commented in a recent interview that this move seems to set the stage for these committee members to push for the removal of specific vaccines.
Gottlieb mentioned the growing backlash against pandemic-related measures, particularly against the vaccine mandates that Kennedy has opposed. “We’re nurturing a lot of anti-vaccine sentiment right now, and Secretary Kennedy is contributing to this through his initiatives with groups like ACIP,” he noted. “This could have long-lasting effects.”
Earlier in June, Kennedy dismissed the entire CDC Advisory Committee on Vaccination Practices (ACIP) and replaced them with eight new members.
During a recent meeting, the ACIP voted against endorsing an influenza vaccine that contains thimerosal, prompted by a presentation from a vaccine skeptic.
Lynn Redwood, a nurse practitioner and former leader of Kennedy’s anti-vaccine organization, labeled thimerosal a “developmental and reproductive toxic substance” that hasn’t been adequately tested for safety.
Interestingly, the CDC removed a prior version of her presentation from its website, which cited a study that apparently does not exist.
Redwood is now listed as an “expert” in HHS but presented her views in a civilian capacity, not as a government representative.
Though thimerosal is infrequently used in vaccines nowadays, and the practical impact of this panel’s vote might be limited, it showcases a willingness to disregard scientific evidence and lend more authority to long-standing complaints against public health policies.
Sean O’Leary, chair of the American Association of Pediatric Diseases Committee, remarked at a press conference that the narrative suggesting current vaccine policies are flawed is misleading. “These policies save millions of lives,” he emphasized.
The AAP has distanced itself from any lawsuits regarding this topic, labeling them as “unreliable.”
Public health professionals have expressed concerns about Redwood’s presentation, claiming it fell short of the standards typically upheld by bodies like ACIP.
Jerome Adams, who served as the first surgeon general during the Trump administration, stated on Social Platform X that her presentation “bypassed the standard review processes and ignored decades of safety evidence.”
Elizabeth Jacobs, a professor of Epidemiology at the University of Arizona, characterized the conference as overly chaotic, lacking the thoughtful atmosphere usually expected in academia. “The way Lynn Redwood was permitted to present misleading information about thimerosal and vaccines is not something a serious scientific body should entertain,” Jacobs remarked. “It’s entirely inappropriate to hold scientific forums on one side of an issue with such weak evidence while disregarding decades of data on safety and efficacy.”
One ACIP member, who voted against the recommendation for only thimerosal-free flu shots, raised alarms that this vote could negatively impact vaccine access abroad as other countries often look to the panel for guidance. “The recommendations made by ACIP have been adopted in many nations,” they warned, stressing that this could limit access, increase costs, and pointing out that thimerosal has not been proven harmful as it relates to vaccines prior to World War II.
