Trump Administration Moves to Expedite Vaccine Advisory Committee Appeal

The health secretary aims to restart the work of a panel advising the government on vaccines. A judicial ruling had halted its function.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all 17 members of a vaccine advisory committee last June. He replaced them with individuals sharing his skepticism of vaccines.

The Trump administration has sought an expedited appeal of a federal ruling. It blocked Kennedy’s decisions on vaccines, including rescinding routine immunization recommendations against several childhood diseases.

Kennedy announced via social media that the administration filed a motion to expedite the appeal. It aims for federal vaccine advisers to meet and decide on recommendations before the fall flu season.

Six medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, initiated the lawsuit. It claimed Kennedy and his appointees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made arbitrary changes to the childhood vaccine schedule.

The suit argued that Kennedy’s appointees lacked the qualifications to recommend vaccinations. Their decisions could endanger public health.

A Massachusetts federal judge ruled in March to block Kennedy’s policies temporarily. It froze decisions by Kennedy’s appointees and prevented the committee from meeting.

Recently, the administration aims to revive the committee. President Trump issued an executive order to align vaccine recommendations with peer countries. Kennedy’s office also reestablished the committee’s charter.