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66 articles
·19d

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Overhauls CDC Vaccine Advisory Board, Sparking Controversy

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the CDC's vaccine advisory board, appointing new members, including critics of vaccines, raising concerns about public trust and safety.

Overview

A summary of the key points of this story verified across multiple sources.

  • Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all members of the CDC's vaccine advisory board, replacing them with new appointees, including critics of vaccines.
  • The decision faced widespread criticism from health organizations and experts, who warned it could undermine public trust in vaccines and impact vaccine access.
  • Kennedy's new appointees include individuals known for questioning vaccine safety and efficacy, raising concerns about their influence on public health policy.
  • The overhaul of the advisory board has prompted calls for a Senate investigation into the lack of transparency in the selection process of new members.
  • Experts argue that the abrupt changes to the vaccine advisory committee could lead to increased public distrust and jeopardize the safety of vaccination programs.

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Analysis

Compare how each side frames the story — including which facts they emphasize or leave out.

Emphasizes Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s dismissal of CDC vaccine advisory members and controversial new appointments.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee and appointed eight new members.

ARS Technica logo
CBS News logo
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15 articles
53%

RFK Jr. appointed eight new members, including vaccine critics, to the CDC's vaccine advisory committee.

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3 articles
100%

Kennedy removed and plans to replace all 17 members of ACIP due to conflicts of interest.

BBC News logo
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3 articles
67%

The ACIP, composed of leading public health experts including pediatricians and geriatricians, advises the CDC on vaccine usage through public meetings reviewing scientific evidence.

The Dispatch logo
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3 articles
67%

Calley Means has gained a following in the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement by criticizing the U.S. health system and attributing its failings to corruption.

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3 articles
67%

Means, a top aide to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was hired as a White House adviser in March.

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3 articles
67%

He has criticized leading physician groups, federal agencies, and government scientists for prioritizing their own interests in the $4.9 trillion healthcare industry.

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3 articles
67%

Kennedy promises transparency in running the Department of Health and Human Services, while Means lacks public disclosure of financial details and policy intersections.

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3 articles
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Truemed enables users to use tax-free funds from their HSAs for non-traditional medical expenses like exercise equipment, meal delivery services, and homeopathic remedies.

Associated Press logo
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3 articles
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The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices advises the CDC on vaccine safety, efficacy, and clinical need, with recommendations typically approved and widely followed.

USA TODAY logo
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4 articles
50%

Articles (66)

Compare how different news outlets are covering this story.

Center (24)

"…The American Medical Association is calling for an investigation into Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to upend a major vaccine advisory committee at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

AMA calls for Senate investigation into RFK's move to overhaul key CDC vaccine advisory committee
Chicago Sun-TimesChicago Sun-Times·19d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…Kennedy said reconstituting the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Acip) was a "major step towards restoring public trust in vaccines.""

RFK Jr picks new US vaccine committee after sacking previous members
BBC NewsBBC News·19d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…It’s been a disheartening week for those of us who care about the American experiment in self-government."

Department of Health and Human Crackpots
The BulwarkThe Bulwark·19d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…Kennedy's decision to clean house seems to bypass the thorough, nonpartisan vetting process typically used to select new members."

RFK Jr. Replaces Vaccine Advisory Panel
The DispatchThe Dispatch·19d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…RFK Jr.’s new CDC panel is characterized by a significant presence of individuals who are skeptical of the Biden administration's vaccine policies."

RFK Jr.’s new CDC panel dominated by skeptics of Biden-era vaccine policies
FortuneFortune·19d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…The move amounted to "putting RFK like-minded people and removing all potential internal CDC opposition" in the committee, calling it far from normal."

CDC purges career officials from oversight of vaccine committee
CBS NewsCBS News·20d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…Kennedy's decision to replace the entire roster of the ACIP jolted the public health and medical establishment, who feared the move cleared the way for a committee that will take steps to undermine vaccine policy."

RFK Jr. names new slate of vaccine advisers after purging CDC panel
NPRNPR·20d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…Kennedy's decision to “retire” the previous 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was widely decried by doctors' groups and public health organizations, who feared the advisers would be replaced by a group aligned with Kennedy's desire to reassess — and possibly end — longstanding vaccination recommendations."

Kennedy's new CDC panel includes members who have criticized vaccines and spread misinformation
ABC NewsABC News·20d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…Kennedy’s list of picks includes some widely-respected experts, such as Dr. Cody Meissner, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Tufts Children’s Hospital."

RFK Jr. announces eight new members of vaccine panel after firing all 17 members
USA TODAYUSA TODAY·20d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…The appointments are likely to increase concern that federal vaccine recommendations will be corrupted and lead to Americans losing access to lifesaving vaccines."

RFK Jr. announces 8 appointees to CDC vaccine panel—they’re not good
ARS TechnicaARS Technica·20d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…The new members appear to have strong credentials related to medicine, public health, epidemiology and statistics, but with less of an emphasis on credentials related to immunology, virology and vaccinology in comparison with previous committees."

RFK Jr. appoints 8 new members to CDC's vaccine advisory committee, including some critics of shots
ABC NewsABC News·20d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…Kennedy’s decision to “retire” the previous 17-member panel was widely decried by doctors’ groups and public health organizations, who feared the advisers would be replaced by a group aligned with Kennedy’s desire to reassess — and possibly end — longstanding vaccination recommendations."

RFK Jr. names 8 vaccine committee replacements, including COVID shot critic
Chicago TribuneChicago Tribune·20d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…Kennedy’s decision to “retire” the previous 17-member panel was widely decried by doctors’ groups and public health organizations, who feared the advisers would be replaced by a group aligned with Kennedy’s desire to reassess — and possibly end — longstanding vaccination recommendations."

Kennedy names 8 vaccine committee replacements, including COVID shot critic
Associated PressAssociated Press·20d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…The new members include well-known vaccine skeptics and others who have been critical of Covid vaccines or pandemic interventions like lockdowns."

RFK Jr. taps eight new members for CDC's vaccine advisory panel
NBC NewsNBC News·20d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…Kennedy suggested that the current list of vaccines that are recommended for children would be re-analyzed by the new ACIP members, because he doesn't trust the science that led to their initial approvals."

What may be next for CDC's vaccine advisory committee after RFK Jr. removed all its members?
ABC NewsABC News·20d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…Bringing a few hundred people back to work out of thousands fired is a start, but there are still countless programs at CDC that have been cut, which will lead to increased disease and death."

Hundreds of laid-off CDC employees are being reinstated
Associated PressAssociated Press·20d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…Kennedy criticized the process by which the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices recommends new vaccines, implying that "adequate safety trials" were not being conducted before recommending new vaccines to children, a notion that was strongly disputed by vaccine experts."

Unpacking RFK's lengthy social media post after firing vaccine committee members
USA TODAYUSA TODAY·20d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…Kennedy's decision marks a reversal from what a key Republican senator said the Trump Cabinet member had promised during his confirmation hearings earlier this year."

RFK Jr. fired all 17 members of key vaccine committee ACIP. What exactly does that mean?
USA TODAYUSA TODAY·21d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…Means’ heated rhetoric against the medical mainstream often dovetails with the interests of his company Truemed, which features vendors who are prominent supporters of Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement."

Takeaways from AP's report on financial interests of RFK Jr. adviser who runs wellness platform
Associated PressAssociated Press·21d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

"…At this point, we should be alarmed but hardly surprised."

RFK Jr. Is as Bad as We All Imagined
The BulwarkThe Bulwark·21d·
Center
This outlet is balanced or reflects centrist views.

FAQ

Dig deeper on this story with frequently asked questions.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all 17 members of the CDC's vaccine advisory board to restore public trust in vaccine science, aiming for a transparent process insulated from conflicts of interest and to prioritize public health over industry agendas.

The new appointees include individuals who are critics of vaccines and some allied with the anti-vaccine movement, raising concerns about their influence on public health policy.

Experts and health organizations warn that the overhaul could undermine public trust in vaccines, jeopardize vaccine safety, and may politicize science, potentially affecting vaccine access and public health negatively.

Yes, the overhaul has prompted calls for a Senate investigation into the lack of transparency in the selection process of the new vaccine advisory board members.

The Biden administration had appointed all 17 sitting members of the advisory board, with 13 of those appointments made in 2024, which would have delayed majority changes until 2028 if not for the removals.

History

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