The Health Department has withdrawn a revised charter for the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) after an administrative error was discovered, according to a Federal Register notice published Tuesday.
The charter, drafted under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., would have allowed Kennedy to appoint anti-vaccine allies with dubious qualifications to the panel. It also shifted the committee's focus toward alleged vaccine injuries and risks, opening the door for fringe anti-vaccine groups to participate in federal vaccine policy.
This move followed Kennedy's June 2025 dismissal of all 17 ACIP experts, replacing them with unvetted anti-vaccine appointees. Under Kennedy's leadership, ACIP aired anti-vaccine views, staged unvetted presentations, and voted to remove longstanding recommendations-including the universal recommendation for a hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Studies project that change will lead to more infections, liver cancers, deaths, and millions in healthcare costs.