Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., criticized Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for appointing eight new members to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), claiming many lack significant expertise in microbiology, epidemiology, or immunology. Kennedy’s decision to replace all 17 previous members, including some with established vaccine skepticism, has raised alarms, especially since the group is scheduled to meet for the first time on Wednesday and Thursday. Cassidy, a physician and chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, voted for Kennedy based on assurances that ACIP would not undergo significant changes.
On social media, Cassidy called for the upcoming ACIP meeting to be delayed until it is fully staffed with a more balanced representation that meets legal requirements. He emphasized the absence of a CDC Director, which complicates the approval of the committee’s recommendations, considering Susan Monarez, the nominee to lead the CDC, is having her Senate confirmation hearing concurrently.
Kennedy recently made decisions on vaccine recommendations without consulting ACIP, including the controversial move to stop recommending the Covid vaccine for healthy children and pregnant women. The Department of Health and Human Services defended Kennedy’s selections, touting the appointees as highly credentialed and committed to evidence-based medicine.
The agenda for the ACIP meeting includes discussions about flu vaccines with thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative linked to long-debunked claims of autism. While most vaccines in the U.S. now contain little to no thimerosal, discussions about its safety remain contentious. The situation illustrates growing tensions regarding vaccine policy and public health leadership amidst ongoing debates about vaccine safety and efficacy.
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