US Secretary of Health Robert Kennedy Jr. announced on June 9 that he was firing all 17 experts from a key vaccine advisory group, accusing them of conflicts of interest with the pharmaceutical industry, in a further illustration of the vaccine-sceptic stance of President Donald Trump's administration.
This decision to dismiss the experts of the Advisory Committee on Vaccination Practices was announced in a column in the Wall Street Journal, as well as in a statement. Robert Kennedy Jr. (RFK) believes that this revision of the panel's composition is essential to restore public trust. He accuses the group of experts of being compromised by financial ties to pharmaceutical companies.
“ Today, we prioritize restoring public trust over any pro- or anti-vaccine agenda.", wrote Mr. Kennedy, notoriously skeptical about the effectiveness of vaccines, in a statement. The public needs to know that the recommendations of our health agencies are based on unbiased scientific data, evaluated through a transparent process and free from conflicts of interest." he added.
"Fueling mistrust"
In his op-ed, RFK states that the panel is " undermined by persistent conflicts of interest " and that he did not become " than a simple registration chamber for any vaccine"He said new members will replace the outgoing experts. The latter were appointed because of their recognized expertise and were normally required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest in advance.
This decision was greeted with concern by Paul Offit, a pediatrician and expert in virology and immunology, who served on this panel from 1998 to 2003. RFK " thinks anyone who speaks well of vaccines, or recommends them, must be deep in the industry's pocket", Mr. Offit told AFP. It solves a problem that doesn't exist" . " How can this country be sure that the people RFK Jr. wants on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices are trustworthy people?", Mr. Offit asked again.
“ We are witnessing an escalation of government efforts to silence independent medical expertise and fuel distrust in life-saving vaccines.", added Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, in a statement. The panel's next meeting is scheduled for June 25-27 at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta.
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"Imprudent measure"
“ Firing experts who have spent their lives protecting children from deadly diseases is not reform; it is reckless, radical, and rooted in conspiracy theories, not science.", Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement. Sweeping away an entire panel of vaccine experts doesn't build trust, it breaks it.“
Left-wing Senator Bernie Sanders made the same observation: " When we should be strengthening trust in science and expanding access to health care, this administration is doing exactly the opposite. This is a continuation of Trump and Kennedy's dangerous war on science. This cannot continue." he denounced in a press release.
RFK has been promoting vaccine misinformation for two decades, including the widely debunked claim that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine causes autism. Since taking office, he has reduced access to Covid-19 vaccines and continued to sow doubt about the MMR vaccine, even as the United States experiences its worst measles outbreak in years, with three reported deaths and more than 1,100 cases. A figure that experts say may significantly underestimate the true toll.
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