Federal judge blocks RFK Jr's overhaul of vaccine recommendations

"When Kennedy fired all 17 members of the ACIP in June and replaced them with his own hand-picked advisers, many of whom have expressed anti-vaccine views, the health secretary likely violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), the judge found. For that reason, the 13 appointments were stayed by the judge, essentially invalidating their role on the committee."

"The unprecedented changes to routine US immunization recommendations in January, when health officials unilaterally changed one-third of the schedule, were arbitrary and capricious, the court found. All votes made by those advisers are also invalidated, including decisions to ban thimerosal from flu vaccines; ending the recommendation for the combination measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and chickenpox vaccine."

"Judge Brian E Murphy ruled on a lawsuit brought by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) against the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This is a major victory, said Richard Hughes IV, one of the lawyers representing the AAP."

A federal judge ruled that the appointment of vaccine advisers by Robert F Kennedy Jr violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act, invalidating all votes taken by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices over the past year. The judge found that unprecedented changes to US immunization recommendations in January were arbitrary and capricious. Kennedy's firing of all 17 ACIP members and replacement with hand-picked advisers, many expressing anti-vaccine views, likely violated federal law. The 13 appointments were stayed, invalidating decisions to ban thimerosal from flu vaccines, end MMR-chickenpox combination recommendations, and eliminate universal hepatitis B birth dose recommendations. The committee cannot meet as scheduled due to invalidated membership.

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