Kennedy moves to broaden CDC committee eligibility after judge knocked new members 

Kennedy moves to broaden CDC committee eligibility after judge knocked new members 

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. published a new charter this week that would broaden the eligibility for members to join the federal vaccine committee that’s served as his primary vehicle for implementing his immunization overhaul. 

The charter for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expired at the beginning of April, having been renewed for two years back in 2024. 

That charter stated that members of the ACIP must have “expertise in the use of vaccines and other immunobiologic agents in clinical practice or preventive medicine, have expertise with clinical or laboratory vaccine research, or have expertise in assessment of vaccine efficacy and safety.” 

Kennedy’s updated charter, published in the Federal Register on Monday, states members of the committee must reflect a “geographical balance” and a “balance of specialty areas.” 

Prior to ACIP’s charter expiring, the committee had effectively been nullified by a federal judge who ruled that Kennedy’s remaking of it last year had not followed federal laws.

The members he’d handpicked, several of whom are prominent vaccine critics and skeptics, were blocked and all meetings held by the committee have since been indefinitely put on hold. 

Part of why the committee was blocked was because the judge determined the members failed to meet the criteria to be on the committee. 

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy, found that most of the members Kennedy chose lacked “any meaningful experience in vaccines” and found that the few who had relevant experience lacked the qualifications to constitute “expertise.” 

Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, I’m Joseph Choi — every week I follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.

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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond:

Appeals court allows Iowa to enforce book bans, restrictions on LGBTQ topics in classes

The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday to allow Iowa to enforce a ban on LGBTQ books and topics in public school classrooms after a lower court judge issued a temporary ban on the law last year.

Supreme Court stirs free speech debate with ‘conversion therapy’ ruling

The Supreme Court’s ruling last week against bans on “conversion therapy” is stirring debate around free speech, with critics pointing to inconsistencies in the standard applied to bans on abortion and drag shows.  In its ruling on Colorado’s 2019 ban on conversion therapy in the case of Chiles v. Salazar, the Supreme Court found that a lower court had “erred” in upholding it because the law “regulates speech based …

Recall impacts over 3.1 million eye drop products distributed nationwide: FDA

TOPEKA (KSNT) – A California pharmaceutical company is recalling over 3 million bottles of eye drops distributed nationwide. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that K.C. Pharmaceuticals, Inc., based out of Pomona, Calif., is voluntarily recalling various eye drop products distributed across the country. The stated reason for the recall is a “lack of assurance of sterility” in the products. The FDA said …

Branch out with a different read:

Trump signs order imposing 100 percent tariff on brand name drugs

President Trump signed an executive order Thursday targeting imported brand name drugs with a 100 percent tariff, citing the U.S.’s “import reliance” as reason for the decision. “I have determined that it is necessary and appropriate to impose a 100 percent ad valorem duty rate on the import of patented pharmaceuticals and associated pharmaceutical ingredients,” Trump’s executive order stated. …

Local and state headlines on health care:

Rural health care in focus: NC lawmakers raise concerns over shortage of nurses, doctors (WRAL) 

Indiana’s Medicaid program could be ditching a popular discount drug program (Indiana Capital Chronicle) 

As CDC pauses some disease testing, Wisconsin lab leader says states are ready to fill the gaps (Wisconsin Public Radio) 

Health news we’ve flagged from other outlets:

A star scientist showed that better genetics lessons could reduce racism. It was the death knell for his career (Stat) 

AI in the mental health care workforce is met with fear, pushback — and enthusiasm (NPR) 

Medicare dips a toe into hemp for seniors (Axios) 

Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill:

Why so many Americans now sympathize with the villain

Waiting months to see a doctor? It doesn’t have to be that way.

You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow! 

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