Health
Illinois Health Officials Call RFK Jr.’s Removal of Vaccine Advisory Committee Members ‘Deeply Concerning’
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a news conference on the Autism report by the CDC at the Hubert Humphrey Building Auditorium in Washington, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)
Illinois state health officials are criticizing a decision by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to oust the entirety of a 17-member advisory committee on vaccines, calling the move “deeply concerning” and saying it will create further uncertainty among physicians and public health professionals.
The Illinois Department of Public Health this week issued a statement after Kennedy removed all volunteer members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a group that includes Illinois’ own immunization section chief Karyn Lyons.
“The abrupt and indiscriminate removal of these volunteer panelists is deeply concerning and creates further uncertainty among physicians and public health professionals throughout the country who rely upon ACIP for guidance,” IDPH said in its statement Wednesday. “The integrity of the ACIP process has been essential to safeguard confidence in the safety and effectiveness of recommended vaccines.”
The committee had been in a state of flux since Kennedy took over. Its first meeting this year had been delayed when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services abruptly postponed its February session.
Major physicians and public health groups have already criticized the move from Kennedy, who was one of the nation’s leading anti-vaccine activists before becoming the nation’s top health official.
The IDPH called the committee a “critically important and independent panel” comprised of independent experts in pediatrics, immunology, vaccinology and epidemiology that has developed crucial vaccine recommendations for more than 60 years.
“The integrity of the ACIP process has been essential to safeguard confidence in the safety and effectiveness of recommended vaccines,” IDPH said.
Kennedy said the committee members had too many conflicts of interest. Currently, committee members are required to declare any potential such conflicts, as well as business interests, that arise during their tenure. They also must disclose any possible conflicts at the start of each public meeting.
Already Kennedy has named eight new appointees to the board. They include a scientist who researched mRNA vaccine technology and became a conservative darling for his criticisms of COVID-19 vaccines, a leading critic of pandemic-era lockdowns and a professor of operations management.
Although it’s typically not viewed as a partisan board, the entire roster of ousted committee members were appointees of former President Joe Biden.
Regardless of the committee’s composition, the IDPH said it will continue to rely on “the most up-to-date scientific evidence to make our clinical and public health recommendations.” The department added it has begun a process of gathering data and convening experts to develop vaccine administration guidelines and recommendations for Illinois providers and residents.
“Our goal,” the IDPH said, “is for our residents to have the most accurate and timely information so they can make informed decisions about their health and the health of their loved ones.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
