RFK Jr. appoints eight new CDC vaccine panel members

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. named eight replacements to the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel yesterday. He previously removed all 17 members of the group.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or ACIP panel guides national immunization policy. It remains unfilled ahead of its June 25 meeting, raising concerns about functionality.

The new appointees are Dr. Joseph R. Hibbeln, Martin Kulldorff, Retsef Levi, Dr. Robert Malone, Dr. Cody Meissner, Dr. Michael A. Ross, Dr. James Pagano and Vicky Pebsworth.

Dr. Malone is a controversial figure known for criticizing the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines. Kulldorff co-authored the controversial Great Barrington Declaration, which questions pandemic-era policies like lockdowns.

Public health experts warn that RFK Jr.’s move could signal a shift toward an anti-vaccine agenda.