A federal judge has temporarily blocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s overhaul of the CDC’s childhood vaccine program, ruling the replacement of expert advisors with unqualified appointees violated federal law.
U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued a temporary injunction halting Kennedy’s reconstitution of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and all related vaccine guidance changes. The court found the actions breached the Administrative Procedure Act, which mandates lawful procedure in agency rulemaking.
ACIP, established in 1964, provides science-based recommendations for the U.S. childhood immunization schedule. Kennedy dismissed all 17 expert members and installed 15 new appointees. The judge determined only six had meaningful vaccine expertise; nine lacked qualifications required by law.
In January 2026, Kennedy cut the recommended vaccine count from 17 to 11 without ACIP input, falsely aligning the move with Denmark’s public health model. The court emphasized that each vaccine’s original inclusion followed rigorous review-none of which preceded their removal.
The lawsuit was filed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other leading medical groups. They argued the process-not the science-was unlawful. AAP President Andrew Racine called the ruling a victory for science-based policymaking.
The decision sets a critical precedent: federal advisory committees must remain balanced and expert-driven. The Federal Advisory Committee Act protects such standards across agencies. Weakening them risks broader regulatory integrity.
The injunction is temporary. HHS may appeal, and a full trial will follow. For now, the original ACIP structure and 17-vaccine schedule remain in effect.