Summary
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has appointed a new panel to review vaccine schedules for children in the U.S. The panel includes individuals known to be skeptical of vaccines, which has raised concerns among health experts and politicians.
Key Facts
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced all 17 members of a U.S. vaccine advisory committee with new members.
- The new panel will review vaccination schedules for children and vaccines approved over seven years ago.
- The committee advises the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccines.
- Concerns have been raised about the qualifications and potential biases of the new panel members.
- The review of long-approved vaccines, like hepatitis B for newborns, is a point of concern.
- The panel postponed a vote on vaccines for RSV, a respiratory virus affecting infants.
- They plan to discuss thimerosal, a preservative not used in most current vaccines.
- Dr. Martin Kulldorff, the new chair, was previously removed from his university position for not getting a Covid-19 vaccine.
