Robert F. Kennedy dismisses the 17 members of the U.S. Vaccine Scientific Committee.

The United States Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., removed the 17 members of the scientific committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine use this Monday. “It is necessary to start anew to restore public trust in vaccine science,” Kennedy Jr. wrote in an opinion piece published in The Wall Street Journal communicating his decision.

The website listing the committee members was taken down on Monday, shortly after Kennedy’s announcement. “Vaccines have become a divisive issue in American politics, but there is one thing all parties agree on: The United States is facing a crisis of public trust. Whether towards health agencies, pharmaceutical companies, or vaccines themselves, public trust is declining,” states the Secretary of Health in his article.

Kennedy argues that blaming misinformation—such as that propagated by himself—and anti-scientific attitudes would be a mistake because, in his opinion, it ignores “a history of conflicts of interest, persecution of dissenters, lack of curiosity, and biased science that has plagued the regulatory apparatus of vaccines for decades.”

“In the 1960s, the world sought guidance from U.S. health regulators, who had a reputation for integrity, scientific impartiality, and enthusiastic advocacy for patient welfare. Since then, public trust has collapsed, but we will regain it,” he adds.

All the committee members now dismissed had been appointed during Joe Biden’s presidency. “Without removing the current members, the current Trump Administration would not have been able to appoint most of the new members until 2028,” wrote Kennedy, who claimed that the committee members had too many conflicts of interest.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Democratic senators criticized how he had financially benefited from his anti-vaccine activities and could continue to do so even as Secretary of Health, due to a lawsuit against the pharmaceutical company Merck.

Before becoming Secretary of Health, Kennedy spread falsehoods and anti-scientific claims and called for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revoke the authorization granted to COVID vaccines, which saved millions of lives worldwide and helped overcome the pandemic.

He claimed that “no vaccine is safe and effective” and repeatedly called for further studies on routine childhood vaccinations, despite decades of research and real-world use demonstrating that they have safely prevented diseases. He asserted that vaccines cause autism and allergies. Additionally, he is involved in a lawsuit against Merck regarding the human papillomavirus vaccine administered to protect against cervical cancer.

Despite all this, when he appeared before a Senate committee to seek his confirmation, he stated, “I am not anti-vaccine.” Recently, he took the unusual step of changing COVID recommendations without first consulting the panel.

The Secretary of Health’s decision received immediate criticism from the medical community. “For generations, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has been a reliable national source of science and data-based advice and guidance on vaccine use to prevent and control diseases,” stated Bruce A. Scott, president of the American Medical Association, in a statement. “Doctors, parents, community leaders, and public health officials rely on them for clinical guidance, public health information, and insights. The action taken today to dismiss the current 17 ACIP members undermines that trust and disrupts a transparent process that has saved countless lives. With an ongoing measles outbreak and declining routine childhood vaccination rates, this measure will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases,” he argued.

Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, called Kennedy’s mass dismissal “a coup.” “This is not how democracies work. It is not good for the health of the nation,” he told the AP agency. According to Benjamin, this action raises serious doubts about whether future committee members will be considered impartial. He added that Kennedy is acting against what he told legislators and the public, and that the public health association plans to monitor Kennedy.