RFK Jr. Announces ‘Clean Sweep’ Of CDC Vaccine Advisors
Daily Caller2 days
RFK Jr. Fires CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel
Above: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on Capitol Hill on May 20, 2025. Image copyright: Tasos Katopodis/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
This committee cleanup was long overdue. ACIP had become a pharmaceutical industry rubber stamp that never met a vaccine it wouldn't recommend, even ones later withdrawn for safety issues. These Biden appointees were compromised by financial conflicts and operated behind closed doors, violating transparency principles Americans deserve.
Democratic narrative
Firing the entire panel of respected medical experts is reckless and unprecedented, undermining decades of rigorous scientific review and evaluation. ACIP members already disclose conflicts and recuse themselves when necessary, following the most stringent ethics policies available. This ideological purge will destabilize vaccination programs and fuel dangerous misinformation.