Robert F Kennedy sacks entire US vaccine panel

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has fired all members sitting on a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel of vaccine experts.

Kennedy removed all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement on Monday, and is in the process of considering new members to replace them.

"Today we are prioritising the restoration of public trust above any specific pro or anti-vaccine agenda," Kennedy said.

"The public must know that unbiased science - evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest - guides the recommendations of our health agencies."

Kennedy claimed that ACIP was rife with conflicts and had never turned down a vaccine, but the decision to approve vaccines rests with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

ACIP provides guidance to the CDC on which groups of people would most benefit from an already-approved vaccine, and when they should get it.

"That's a tragedy," former FDA Chief Scientist Jesse Goodman said of the firings.

"This is a highly professional group of scientists and physicians and others ... It's the kind of political meddling that will reduce confidence rather than increase confidence."

Kennedy who has questioned the safety and efficacy of vaccines, making claims contrary to scientific evidence, said most ACIP members receive funding from drugmakers.

But ACIP members are required to declare any potential or perceived conflicts of interest that arise in the course of ACIP tenure and any relevant business interests, positions of authority or other connections with organisations relevant to the work of the ACIP.

Kennedy provided no specific evidence of industry conflicts of interest among departing ACIP members.

All 17 sitting ACIP members were appointed under former president Joe Biden's administration.

Not removing them would have prevented President Donald Trump's administration from choosing a majority of the committee until 2028.

"This is not a political committee, it's never been partisan," said Dorit Reiss, a vaccine law expert at UC Law San Francisco. "It's an expert committee. Presidents have never been involved in ACIP membership."

The decision drew criticism from Democrats in Congress, and one key Republican.

"Of course, now the fear is that the ACIP will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion," said Republican Senator Bill Cassidy in a post on X.

"I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case."

Cassidy, a doctor from Louisiana who had expressed wariness about Kennedy's anti-vaccine views before clearing the path for him to become the nation's top health official, said at the time he had received assurances Kennedy would protect existing vaccination programs.