Full Breakdown
CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel Overhaul Sparks Resignation
7/6/2026, 1:00:37 AM
ACIP Overhaul and Immediate Fallout
On June 9 2025 HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all 17 members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) and appointed ten new members without completing the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) vetting. The new panel met three times and voted to remove thimerosal from flu vaccines, end the universal hepatitis B birth-dose, and cut the childhood vaccine schedule. A federal judge halted the appointments and nullified the panel’s votes in March 2025.
Dr. Debra Houry’s Resignation and Integrity Concerns
Former CDC chief medical officer Dr. Debra Houry, who resigned in summer 2024 with three colleagues, described “pure chaos” at the agency. She cited missing conflict-of-interest forms, bypassed measles briefings, and Kennedy’s refusal to receive CDC data. Houry warned that the changes threatened the agency’s scientific integrity and public trust.
Official Statements
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the prior ACIP had become “little more than a rubber stamp” and that the overhaul was needed to align the panel with his administration’s priorities.
- Senate Health Committee Chair Bill Cassidy expressed alarm over politicizing vaccine policy and called for congressional oversight; Acting CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez ordered rapid restoration of vaccine-related webpages after they were removed during Kennedy’s confirmation process.
Criticism, Legal Action, and Unresolved Issues
The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and several state health departments sued to block the new appointments. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have stopped using CDC recommendations as a benchmark for childhood vaccinations. Houry’s emails note that the new members initially lacked required ethics forms, yet later she reported that vetting was completed, creating a discrepancy.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Science doesn't change based on who is in office, and so when these things were happening, I knew this was different than before,” — Dr. Debra Houry, former CDC chief medical officer
- “It's certainly OK to have different perspectives and different expertise, but then you want to make sure that the scientists and the experts are also being heard and part of those decisions, and we weren't.” — Dr. Debra Houry
- “ "They didn't care what the expertise was, they wanted to align with an agenda," she said.” — Dr. Debra Houry
- “If we could provide him correct statistics, correct information, or maybe even a briefing on what CDC did, that might help them when he was speaking publicly, but we weren't taken up on that,” — Dr. Debra Houry
Next Steps
The Senate Health Committee plans a hearing on the ACIP restructuring. Ongoing litigation and the federal injunction keep the new appointments on hold. CDC officials indicate a review of the panel’s composition and a possible reinstatement of removed members, contingent on completing FACA requirements.
