RFK Jr. Signs May 14 Vaccine Panel Charter, Broadening Adviser Selection
Updated
Updated · protectourcare.org · Jun 17
RFK Jr. Signs May 14 Vaccine Panel Charter, Broadening Adviser Selection
3 articles · Updated · protectourcare.org · Jun 17
Summary
A new charter signed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on May 14 rewrites the rules for a key federal vaccine advisory panel, dropping language that all members must have expertise in specific vaccine-related fields.
That change could give Kennedy wider latitude to pick advisers after a federal judge suspended many of his handpicked appointees and blocked changes to the childhood immunization schedule this spring.
HHS officials are also discussing reviving the influential panel that the court order disrupted and last week asked a federal appeals court to fast-track the administration's challenge.
Behind the quieter public messaging, NIH has pushed vaccine-injury and schedule research, and CDC officials are weighing a new Office of Science that former officials say could expand Kennedy allies' influence over vaccine policy.
More than 15 interviews cited by the Washington Post suggest the administration's vaccine agenda has shifted out of public view rather than stopped, potentially shaping research and recommendations for years.
With experts removed, who now decides on vaccine safety and what new criteria are they using?
Why are US vaccine policies being reshaped using research that scientific journals have recently retracted as flawed?
As measles cases rise, how will altering the childhood vaccine schedule impact immunity against preventable diseases?
The Collapse of ACIP: Inside the 2025–2026 Upheaval and Its Impact on U.S. Vaccine Recommendations
Overview
As of June 2026, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is effectively non-functional, causing widespread confusion in U.S. vaccine policy. This crisis began when HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed a revised charter that removed the requirement for ACIP members to have expertise in vaccines, instead allowing individuals with consumer perspectives or experience in vaccine injuries. The charter also expanded non-voting roles to groups known for vaccine skepticism. These changes have undermined ACIP’s traditional evidence-based approach, leading to fragmented vaccine guidance and growing uncertainty in public health decisions.