On June 9, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. fired all 17 members of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) committee that makes national vaccine policy—the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). “A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,” Secretary Kennedy said.1 2 3 4 5 He added:
ACIP’s new members will prioritize public health and evidence-based medicine. The Committee will no longer function as a rubber stamp for industry profit-taking agendas. The entire world once looked to American health regulators for guidance, inspiration, scientific impartiality, and unimpeachable integrity. Public trust has eroded. Only through radical transparency and gold standard science, will we earn it back.2 3
The 17 members purged from the committee were all appointed by the Biden administration. Thirteen of them were appointed in 2024 and were scheduled to serve on the committee through 2028. According to a press release by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS):
The prior administration made a concerted effort to lock in public health ideology and limit the incoming administration’s ability to take the proper actions to restore public trust in vaccines.3
The members who were removed include: Helen Talbot, MD, MPH (chair); Edwin Jose Asturias, MD; Noel Brewer, PhD; Oliver Brooks, MD; Lin Chen, MD; Helen Chu, MD, MPH; Sybil Cineas, MD; Denise Jamieson, MD, MPH; Mini Kamboj, MD; George Kuchel, MD; Jamie Loehr, MD; Karyn Lyons, RN; Yvonne Maldonado, MD; Charlotte Moser, MS; Robert Schechter, MD; Albert Shaw, MD, PhD; and Jane Zucker, MD.6
ACIP Long Plagued by Conflicts of Interest
Kennedy said that ACIP has been “plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine.” This was apparently one of the main reasons for the shake-up.
While it is unclear how many of the fired ACIP members had financial conflicts of interests with the pharmaceutical industry, a recent report by Science, Public Health Policy and the Law reveals that, based on CMS Open Payments records, at least five of the fired advisors had financial “entanglements” with drugmakers that could put into the question their independence. These include Dr. Asturias, Dr. Maldonado, Dr. Talbot, Dr. Brooks, and Dr. Brewer.7
In the case of Asturias, it is reported that he received $3.8 million from Pfizer, Inc. and other companies during 2019-2023. Maldonado reportedly $4.6 million in funding “linked” to Merck & Co., Inc. Talbot is reported to have received more than $312,000 in “associated research support tied” to Sanofi SA and Gilead Sciences, Inc.7
Over a 10-year period, Brooks was apparently paid for “promotional speaking and consulting engagements” by Sanofi, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline plc, and other companies. Lastly, Brewer revealed that he had done consulting for Merck, Sanofi, Moderna, Inc., and Novavax, Inc., as well as the World Health Organization (WHO).7
Eight New ACIP Members Named
Two days after retiring the 17 members of ACIP, Kennedy began naming their replacements, including biochemist Robert Malone, MD; biostatistician and epidemiologist Martin Kulldorff, MD, PhD; emergency medicine physician James Pagano, MD; MIT professor of operations management Retsef Levi, PhD; NIH scientist Joseph Hibbeln, MD; Dartmouth professor of pediatrics Cody Meissner, MD; Michael Ross, MD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University and Virginia Commonwealth University; and Vicky Pebsworth, OP, PhD, RN, board member and volunteer director of research and patient safety for the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC).8 9
“This is a huge win for the medical freedom [m]ovement,” said David Mansdoerfer, former deputy assistant secretary for the DHHS. “They did everything by the book to put together this excellent slate of appointees.”9
The next meeting of ACIP is scheduled for June 25-27 at CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.3
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Click here to view References:1 Constantino AK. RFK Jr. removes all members of CDC panel advising U.S. on vaccines. CNBC June 9, 2025.
2 Kennedy RF. RFK Jr.: HHS Moves to Restore Public Trust in Vaccines. The Wall Street Journal June 9, 2025.
3 Press Release. HHS Takes Bold Step to Restore Public Trust in Vaccines by Reconstituting ACIP. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services June 9, 2025.
4 Ungar L, Seitz A. RFK Jr. ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory committee. Associated Press June 9, 2025.
5 Wendling M, Halpert M. RFK Jr sacks entire US vaccine committee. BBC June 10, 2025.
6 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). ACIP Committee Members. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Apr. 14, 2025.
7 Science, Public Health Policy and the Law. Was Firing ACIP the Right Move? Former ACIP Member Conflicts of Interest Details Emerge.
8 Owermohle S, Tirrell M. Kennedy names new members of CDC vaccine advisory panel days after removing previous advisers. CNN June 11, 2025.
9 Stone W, Huang P. RFK Jr. names new slate of vaccine advisers after purging CDC panel. NPR June 12, 2025.
