RFK Jr. taps allies and COVID vaccine critics among picks for CDC advisory panel. Here’s who’s on the list.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made headlines with his recent announcement of eight new advisers to serve on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine recommendations committee. This move comes after the controversial decision to fire the committee’s entire previous roster of 17 advisers.

Kennedy emphasized that the new advisers are committed to evidence-based medicine, gold-standard science, and common sense. They have all pledged to demand definitive safety and efficacy data before making any new vaccine recommendations. This decision to appoint new advisers bypasses the usual CDC process for selecting members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), where career agency officials typically vet potential experts before forwarding them to the department for approval by the secretary.

In addition to the new appointments, the CDC has also undergone significant changes, with the removal of career officials overseeing the committee and its agenda, effectively replacing them with an appointee of the Trump administration. The panel’s recommendations are closely tied to federal policies, such as which vaccines insurers are required to cover, making these new appointments particularly impactful.

Kennedy’s picks for the committee include individuals with close ties to the secretary and his inner circle, some of whom have a history of criticizing vaccine recommendations or questioning their safety. Several advisers have ties to lawsuits against vaccine makers, while one member has previously invested in a vaccine. These appointments have raised concerns about conflicts of interest and transparency in the selection process.

One of the new advisers, Dr. Robert Malone, has been accused of spreading misinformation about mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has questioned the benefits of measles vaccines and promoted unproven treatments for the virus. Another member, Dr. Martin Kulldorff, has criticized vaccine recommendations and testified as an expert witness in a lawsuit against a vaccine maker.

Dr. Cody Meissner, a pediatric professor, has opposed COVID-19 vaccine requirements for children and co-authored articles questioning pandemic-related restrictions. Vicky Pebsworth, a regional director of the National Association of Catholic Nurses, has advocated against vaccine mandates and questioned the ethics of coercion in vaccination campaigns.

MIT professor Retsef Levi has raised concerns about mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and called for their suspension based on data from vaccine trials. Dr. Michael A. Ross has been involved in cancer prevention strategies and previously served on the CDC’s breast and cervical cancer committee. Dr. James Pagano, a retired hospital medicine specialist, has published fiction titles on medical topics.

Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, a retired NIH researcher, has expertise in immune-related outcomes and psychiatric conditions. Kennedy’s selection of these advisers has sparked controversy and criticism from some public health experts, who question the credentials and motives of the new appointees.

Overall, Kennedy’s decision to overhaul the CDC’s vaccine recommendations committee has raised concerns about the politicization of public health and the influence of special interests on vaccine policy. The new advisers bring diverse viewpoints to the panel, but their backgrounds and affiliations have raised questions about their ability to provide unbiased, evidence-based recommendations. It remains to be seen how these new appointments will impact federal vaccine policies and public health initiatives moving forward.