After Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Senator Bernie Sanders has called for a bipartisan investigation into these actions. The decision by Secretary Kennedy is seen as unprecedented and could potentially impact Americans’ access to safe vaccines.
Senator Sanders, who serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), addressed his concerns in a letter to HELP Chairman Bill Cassidy. He stated, “Secretary Kennedy’s reckless decision to fire these non-partisan scientific experts and replace them with ideologues with limited expertise and a history of undermining vaccines will not only endanger the lives of Americans of all ages, it directly contradicts a commitment he made to you before he was confirmed that he would not make any significant changes to this important Committee.”
Senator Sanders referenced remarks from Chairman Cassidy following the firings: “Now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion.”
The ACIP is responsible for making evidence-based vaccine recommendations which influence coverage by insurers and government programs like Medicaid and Medicare. Last week, Secretary Kennedy began appointing new members to ACIP, including individuals such as a former professor known for controversial comparisons between COVID vaccines and Nazi medical experiments, an anti-vaccine organization board member, and a private equity firm leader. Additionally, Kennedy replaced a 20-year veteran CDC official overseeing ACIP with a scheduling staffer.
Sanders’ call for investigation aligns with an emergency resolution passed by the American Medical Association urging HELP to look into these terminations.
“While Secretary Kennedy’s actions are deeply disappointing they are not surprising,” Sanders commented. He further expressed concern over what he perceives as Secretary Kennedy’s ongoing efforts against science-backed vaccination practices: “For decades, Secretary Kennedy has spread lies and dangerous conspiracy theories about safe and effective vaccines that have saved millions of lives. Unfortunately, since he has been confirmed I am very concerned that Secretary Kennedy is doubling down on his war on science and disinformation campaign that will lead to preventable illness and death.”
