On June 9, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced that all ACIP members had been removed from their positions only two weeks before the committee was set to meet to discuss COVID-19 vaccines. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Kennedy said that removing the established panel of vaccine experts will “restore public trust in vaccines.” Public health and vaccine experts condemned the move as “reckless” and “dangerous,” arguing that it will politicize vaccine science and undermine public trust. The news received widespread media coverage and social media attention, with top posts garnering millions of views. A popular post from a news agency received nearly 16,000 replies as of June 10, mostly critical of Kennedy and the anti-vaccine movement. Some social media users worried that COVID-19 and flu vaccines won’t be available in the fall and correctly speculated that Kennedy would pick anti-vaccine activists to replace the original panel of experts. Vaccine opponents largely celebrated the news as “long overdue” and a “groundbreaking win for health.” However, some argued that the move does not go far enough and that the committee and federal health agencies should be completely disbanded.
Recommendation
Dramatic changes to established vaccine safety systems without appropriate transparency may weaken public confidence in vaccines and public health guidance. The general public likely has questions about the structure and goals of ACIP. Messaging may emphasize that, until now, ACIP members were selected based on their expertise and that conflict of interest claims are dishonest and based on a misrepresentation of a 20-year-old report. Health communicators may highlight the many systems in place in the U.S. to ensure all vaccines are safe and effective.
