"Anti-vaccine Minister" Little Kennedy purges CDC Vaccine Committee, reducing the number of members to seven.

According to reports, the number of members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), newly formed by the US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy as a prominent "anti-vaccine advocate," has been reduced to seven, with one member resigning before the committee's first meeting. US Department of Health spokesman Andrew Nixon stated that Michael Ross has now resigned from the ACIP. The spokesperson added that the committee will benefit from his service and expertise. It is worth noting that the ACIP is expected to convene meetings on June 25 and 26 to discuss various recommendations, including vaccination recommendations for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccines for children under five. Information shows that the ACIP, an expert committee established in the mid-20th century, has long been responsible for core functions in US vaccine policy formulation, including identifying vaccination populations and setting insurance reimbursement standards, among other key tasks. In most cases, the recommendations of the ACIP become the national vaccination program. In addition, US health insurance companies are obligated to cover vaccines recommended by the ACIP, and they have the right to refuse coverage for vaccines recommended outside of the ACIP's recommendations. Therefore, the promotion of new vaccines relies heavily on the ACIP. Earlier this month, Kennedy suddenly announced the removal of all members of the CDC's ACIP and appointed eight members of his own choosing. Robert Kennedy has always been skeptical of vaccines. Some scientists and experts have expressed concerns that replacing ACIP members will weaken public confidence in health agencies. However, Robert Kennedy stated that a complete overhaul was necessary to restore public confidence in vaccine science. It is worth noting that the 17 ousted expert group members were all appointed by the Biden administration, with 13 of them appointed in 2024.