Kennedy-appointed CDC vaccine panel says it will scrutinize the childhood vaccine schedule

A federal vaccine advisory committee plans to review the childhood vaccination schedule and scrutinize vaccines that have been approved for decades, fueling concerns that the panel may consider changes to long-standing vaccine recommendations.
A federal vaccine advisory committee plans to review the childhood vaccination schedule and scrutinize vaccines that have been approved for decades, fueling concerns that the panel may consider changes to long-standing vaccine recommendations.
On Wednesday, the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices convened for the first time to discuss updated data on Covid vaccines and RSV antibody drugs.
Earlier this month, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of the panel and appointed eight of his own, many of whom have expressed skepticism about the value and safety of vaccines. (One member, Dr. Michael Ross, has since withdrawn from the committee, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said Wednesday during a Senate hearing.)
The independent panel of experts makes recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about who should get certain vaccines, which can in turn influence whether the vaccines are covered by insurance.
The new committee chair, Martin Kulldorff — a biostatistician who criticized pandemic-era lockdowns and said he was fired from Harvard for refusing to get a Covid vaccination — struck a combative tone as the meeting began.
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