Health Secretary Kennedy Appoints New Members to CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has appointed five new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), just days before the committee's scheduled meeting to discuss COVID-19 and hepatitis B vaccines. The new appointees are Hilary Blackburn, a pharmacist at AscensionRx and podcast host; Dr. Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist affiliated with the Independent Medical Alliance; Dr. Evelyn Griffin, an obstetrician-gynecologist and functional medicine practitioner; Dr. Raymond Pollak, a semi-retired transplant surgeon; and Catherine Stein, an epidemiology professor at Case Western Reserve University who has previously expressed skepticism about the government's portrayal of COVID-19 risks.

Jim O'Neill, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services and Acting Director of the CDC, stated, "The new ACIP members bring a wealth of real-world public health experience to the job of making immunization recommendations. We are grateful for their service in helping restore the public confidence in vaccines that was lost during the Biden era."

The ACIP, now comprising 12 members, plays a crucial role in shaping vaccine policies, including determining which vaccines are offered through the Vaccines for Children program and influencing state and local vaccine requirements. The committee is set to meet this week in Atlanta to consider policies on the fall COVID-19 booster shot and the administration of the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns.

This development follows Kennedy's earlier decision in June to replace all 17 members of the ACIP, citing concerns over conflicts of interest. The previous members were selected for their medical expertise and had been vetted to ensure no direct financial benefits from ACIP votes.

The recent appointments have raised concerns among public health experts. Dr. Noel Brewer, a former ACIP member dismissed in June, commented, "There are large gaps in the new ACIP's composition in terms of their missing expertise on vaccinology, their missing expertise on primary care, their missing expertise on cost-effectiveness and clinical trials. These are folks who fundamentally do not understand vaccines in a deep way. I wouldn't take medical advice from them, and I certainly don't think they should be setting policy for the United States."

The upcoming ACIP meeting is expected to address key vaccine policies amid ongoing debates over the committee's composition and the direction of U.S. immunization strategies.