CDC vaccine panel meeting postponed amid RFK Jr bid to reshape policy
Postponement of ACIP meeting this month comes as US pediatricians challenge committee’s legitimacy in court
TL;DR
- The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting planned for February has been postponed to March.
- The postponement is due to a legal challenge by the American Academy of Pediatrics questioning the committee's legitimacy.
- Robert F Kennedy Jr. is actively working to reshape federal vaccination policy, including reducing routine childhood immunization recommendations.
- Kennedy's advisers, some with significant fears of vaccine side-effects, are influencing changes to vaccine schedules.
- The CDC is also experiencing leadership changes, with Jay Bhattacharya becoming acting director.
- The ACIP previously made a controversial decision to end the universal hepatitis B vaccine recommendation for infants.