The Politicization of Vaccines: A Critical Analysis of RFK Jr.’s Reformation of the ACIP

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaking with attendees at the 2024 FreedomFest at Caesars Forum Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Courtesy of Gage Skidmore and Wikimedia Commons.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, retired all 17 sitting members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) on June 10, 2025. The ACIP is a federal advisory board under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, typically composed of physicians with extensive experience in administering vaccines and treating populations that receive them, such as pediatricians and geriatricians.

Kennedy, who has been critical of vaccines in the past, cited the need to restore “public trust above any pro- or anti-vaccine agenda” as his primary rationale in making this decision. In an op-ed he wrote in The Wall Street Journal announcing the dissolution of the committee, he indicted ACIP on several fronts, many of which unfounded, but some compelling. 

Perhaps the most noteworthy allegation RFK Jr. levied against the committee was that ACIP “has never recommended against a vaccine”. This statement is false; in 2016, ACIP recommended against live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV)–a novel nasal spray which could have revolutionized vaccine delivery–due to concerns regarding its protective properties. The committee also routinely excludes vulnerable demographics from vaccinations. For example, in 2024, ACIP recommended against administering the Janssen and Janssen Covid-19 vaccine to pregnant patients and has routinely outlined additional exclusions for immunocompromised and other high-risk populations.

Other points Kennedy brought up in the op-ed, however, are not only valid but also remarkably concerning. ACIP and some similar organizations have consistently failed to adequately disclose conflicts of interest, raising concerns about transparency and potential impacts on patient trust and safety. In 1998, the FDA approved the first rotavirus vaccine for use in infants, although intussusception, a condition where the small intestine folds and creates a blockage prone to infection and reduced blood flow, was a clinically observed side effect. Several committee members who voted for approval of the vaccine had a substantial financial stake in its distribution. According to the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), there have been 1,048 deaths caused by serious complications arising from the rotavirus vaccine since. (It is important to note that NVIC has a history of reporting misleading and debunked data.) The original rotavirus vaccine, RotaShield, was recalled in 1999 by the federal government over concerns regarding intussusception and febrile injuries to infants, leading to a 2000 congressional report on those in charge of approving it. Soon after, two safer vaccine options were approved and are in use to this day, although intussusception remains a listed side-effect of each.

The immediate recall and correction of the rotavirus vaccine likely saved many lives, and is indicative of an American healthcare system that does truly care about its patients. Figures reported by NVIC (such as 1048 deaths caused by rotavirus vaccination) and other anti-vax organizations are largely self reported and thus, prone to intentional misrepresentation. The Vaccine Adverse Effects Reporting System, or VAERS, is the most widely used database for anti-vax media. The issue is that VAERS is unregulated by the scientific community and publicly accessible, allowing any health issue occurring after a vaccination to be reported. For example, if someone with a terminal diagnosis received a flu shot shortly before their death, a grieving family member might mistakenly attribute their death to the vaccine and report it to VAERS. Sensationalist media outlets could then pick up the story, framing it in ways that contribute to national debate and deepen divisions.

On June 25, Kennedy convened the newly restructured and downsized ACIP. The headline speaker was nurse practitioner Lyn Redwood, president of Children’s Health Defense, a renowned anti-vax organization founded by RFK Jr.. During the meeting, Redwood made several concerning claims regarding the supposed link between vaccines and childhood autism, a long-debunked study conducted by disgraced former physician Andrew Wakefield who was accused of manipulating and manufacturing data for monetary gain. In her speech, Redwood reportedly cited several sources that do not exist. Perhaps even more concerning is the fact that background documents contradicting the infamous Wakefield study were taken down from the CDC website hours before the hearing. Lyn Redwood was subsequently appointed to work in the Centers for Disease Control vaccine safety office. 

In the last 50 years, an estimated 154 million lives have been saved by global vaccination efforts. It is scientific consensus that vaccination, along with other major medical breakthroughs such as antibiotics, have directly led to the population growth and health observed across the globe in the last century. As we inch closer to antibiotic resistance, it becomes increasingly more important to vaccinate. A major factor in this effort is the responsible and effective appointment of ethical, qualified scientists to the appropriate positions – a necessity which the current administration has evidently failed to uphold. Robert Kennedy’s reformed ACIP, in just its first meeting, has shown that it is negligent in analyzing and applying data based policy and reform. In today’s polarized political climate, it is more important than ever to ensure all perspectives are heard—but not at the expense of global health.