Vaccine experts removed by Kennedy sound the alarm
WASHINGTON
Vaccination experts recently fired by Donald Trump's administration sounded the alarm in a June 16 editorial, saying they were "deeply concerned" by the actions of a U.S. health secretary known for his vaccine skepticism.
Last week Robert F Kennedy Jr dismissed all 17 members of a key advisory committee, accusing them of financial conflicts of interest.
Two days later, he announced the appointment of eight new members, including several vaccine critics, such as a biochemist who became the darling of the anti-vax movement.
The 17 former members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, who advised the country's main health agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published an editorial in the JAMA medical journal saying the ACIP was "at a crossroads."
"The abrupt dismissal of the entire membership of the ACIP, the appointment of 8 new ACIP members just 2 days later, and the recent reduction of CDC staff dedicated to immunizations have left the U.S. vaccine program critically weakened," they warned.
"These actions have stripped the program of the institutional knowledge and continuity that have been essential to its success over decades," they added.
"As former ACIP members, we are deeply concerned that these destabilizing decisions, made without clear rationale, may roll back the achievements of U.S. immunization policy, impact people's access to lifesaving vaccines, and ultimately put U.S. families at risk of dangerous and preventable illnesses."
RFK Jr in recent years has relayed numerous conspiracy theories about COVID vaccines and alleged links between vaccination and autism, notably through the Children's Health Defense organization he co-founded, which have long been debunked.
