The following is from Children’s Health Defense.

US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has removed all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), in what he described as a “bold step” to restore public trust.

The announcement came Monday in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, where Kennedy wrote:

“A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science.”

Reactions were sharply divided. Supporters said it was a long-overdue move to root out corruption in the vaccine regulation process, while critics from the medical establishment expressed outrage.

Mary Holland, CEO of Children’s Health Defense, applauded the decision to “start fresh.”

ACIP has been a mindless rubber stamp for an almost endless number of new vaccines. The committee has been riddled with financial conflicts of interest, through research grants, stock portfolios and patent stakes. This change is critical if this committee is to have any future role in advising on vaccines without bias.”

Dr. Meryl Nass also called the move just a beginning:

“Until this chokehold on every part of the drug/vaccine system is upended, honest science does not have a chance.”

She noted that pharmaceutical companies can make 40% profit margins on new vaccines — especially if added to the childhood immunization schedule and school mandates — making ACIP a key target for industry influence.

Kennedy echoed this concern, writing that the committee has never once recommended against a vaccine, even those later withdrawn for safety issues. “The public trust has collapsed,” he said, “but we will earn it back.”

Former New York Times journalist John Macgregor called the shakeup “good,” saying the system “is slowly being cleaned up.”

Criticism from major medical groups quickly followed, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association. But none of the organizations disputing the move addressed the financial conflicts cited by Kennedy and others.

Journalist Paul Thacker posted a graphic showing major pharmaceutical donations tied to the AAP. Attorney Aaron Siri also responded on social media:

“There is nothing independent about the members of ACIP – hasn’t been for decades. AAP is worried that the evidence regarding vaccine products will be exposed and will harm the financial interests of its members.”

The pharmaceutical industry is watching closely. Merck CEO Rob Davis told CNBC the company is waiting to see who the new ACIP members will be. Merck is hoping ACIP will recommend its RSV shot for babies during the panel’s next meeting, scheduled for June 25–27.

The panel is also expected to vote on COVID-19, HPV, flu, and meningococcal vaccines — and whether to include them in the federal Vaccines for Children Program.

ACIP was created in 1964 to shape US vaccine policy, including what vaccines are added to the childhood immunization schedule and covered by insurance. Committee members are appointed by the HHS secretary for overlapping four-year terms. According to a  a Congressional Research Service report, the selection process is based on vague “qualifications” and can take over a year.

Dr. Nass called the process “opaque” and described the outcomes as consistently pre-decided.

“The ACIP members have never seen a vaccine they didn’t like.”

Mary Holland pointed to a CHD parody of a 2018 CDC meeting where ACIP approved an adjuvanted vaccine despite a complete lack of safety data and even after hearing that European regulators discouraged using multiple adjuvanted shots. “It goes to the heart of the absurdity of what ACIP has become,” she said.

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