Originally reported by The Epoch Times: RFK Jr. Unveils New Vaccine Advisory Panel Members
In a significant shake-up, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has dismissed all previous members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), a key panel that advises the CDC on vaccine policies.
Following this overhaul, Kennedy has appointed eight new members, including notable figures such as Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist with a background in nutritional neuroscience, Dr. Robert Malone, a pioneer of mRNA technology, and Dr. Cody Meissner, a pediatrics professor and former ACIP member. The announcement was made on June 11.
“These individuals are dedicated to evidence-based medicine and prioritize rigorous safety and efficacy data before endorsing any vaccine recommendations,” Kennedy stated.
Dr. Malone, expressing his enthusiasm for the new role via social media platform X, remarked, “I am honored to serve with objectivity and rigor.”
The complete roster of new appointees includes:
- Martin Kulldorff, an epidemiologist and biostatistician with a PhD in operations research and a founder of Hillsdale College’s Academy for Science and Freedom.
- Retsef Levi, an operations management professor at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, also holding a PhD in operations research.
- Dr. James Pagano, an emergency medicine physician.
- Vicky Pebsworth, a public health and nursing PhD, who serves as a regional director for the National Association of Catholic Nurses.
- Dr. Michael Ross, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University and Virginia Commonwealth University.
As the head of the Department of Health and Human Services—which oversees the CDC—Kennedy previously notified the 17 outgoing members of their terminations on June 9.
“The Committee will no longer act as a rubber stamp for industry profit agendas,” Kennedy asserted at the time.
The ACIP is tasked with advising the CDC on vaccines, including both childhood and adult immunization schedules. According to the committee’s charter, members are expected to possess expertise in immunization practices and public health.
In his remarks to reporters, Kennedy emphasized that the new members are credentialed professionals committed to objective, science-based public health decisions for children.
New Member Perspectives
Levi shared with The Epoch Times that while he believes the previous ACIP members acted with integrity and expertise, the reforms reflect a growing sentiment that the evaluation process for drug and vaccine safety could benefit from greater transparency and public trust.
He elaborated, stating that ACIP members’ roles involve providing advice based on their best judgment, which may not always be uniform and could vary significantly.
“Scientists should analyze the data and reflect what the science suggests, while decision-makers should remain separate from those analyses,” Levi commented. He aims to contribute his experience in data-driven frameworks to help assess various risks and benefits in a personalized medical context.
Concerns About Previous Panelists
An examination by Epoch Times revealed that eight of the dismissed ACIP members had past financial ties to pharmaceutical companies. For example, Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, who was set to begin her term in 2024, received $4.6 million in research funding from Pfizer alone.
Other notable past members also reported substantial payments from major pharmaceutical players, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest. Notably, many of these payments occurred prior to their appointment, yet the timing still raises eyebrows regarding the integrity of their recommendations.
Kennedy has publicly criticized the former panelists for their connections to the pharmaceutical industry, arguing that the committee had devolved into a mere endorsement body for vaccines, regardless of their safety records.
“The committee has consistently failed to recommend against a vaccine—even those withdrawn due to safety concerns,” he wrote in an op-ed.
The Department of Health noted that all 17 previous members were appointed or had their terms renewed under the Biden administration, suggesting that maintaining them would limit the Trump administration’s ability to bring about needed changes to restore public confidence in vaccines.
Among the newly appointed members, Hibbeln has reported minimal financial ties to pharmaceutical companies, while Meissner and Pagano disclosed negligible amounts of funding, further underscoring the shift in the committee’s composition.
Mixed Reactions
The decision to dismiss the prior members has elicited a range of responses from the medical community. Some physicians and health organizations have expressed alarm, suggesting that such abrupt changes threaten evidence-based practices and may undermine public trust in vaccination.
Dr. Jason Goldman, president of the American College of Physicians, voiced concern that removing all committee members at once could damage confidence in vaccines that have been proven safe over many years.
Conversely, others applauded the dismissals. Mary Holland, CEO of Children’s Health Defense, a group formerly chaired by Kennedy, argued that the previous committee was rife with financial conflicts, stating, “This transformation is essential for ensuring that the committee can advise on vaccines impartially moving forward.”
Jan Jekielek contributed to this report.
Correction: A previous version of this article misreported the amount Pagano received in payments. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
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