Covid and flu shots in limbo as Trump administration mulls appeal over vaccine panel

After a federal judge blocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine policies, the Justice Department has yet to appeal the decision — and ultimately may not.

More than a week after a federal judge blocked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s overhaul of both the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule and a key vaccine advisory committee, the Justice Department has yet to appeal the decision — and ultimately may not.

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The Justice Department has 60 days to appeal the decision, which would be by May 15. One HHS official with knowledge of the situation said that no final decision has been made on the agency’s next steps regarding the lawsuit.

It’s the latest example of uncertainty under Kennedy’s leadership. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been without a director for months, with no sign of a new nominee waiting in the wings. And confirmation for his pick for the next surgeon general, Casey Means, appears to have stalled in the Senate.