Ahead of the first meeting of newly appointed vaccine advisors to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lawmakers share new concerns about the membership and last-minute actions of the panel that could raise Covid-19 and the flu vaccine.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, wrote a letter Tuesday to US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This announced the sudden layoffs of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Advisory Committee on Vaccination Practices, obtained solely by CNN, and the appointment of eight new members two days later.
Her letter comes hours after Sen. Bill Cassidy, a top Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, demanded that officials be postponed to postpone the vaccine meeting amid concerns that could further erode Americans’ confidence in vaccine safety.
Kennedy appeared before the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Tuesday morning to testify to the administration’s proposed 2026 budget. The hearing began with committee Democrats also questioning his ACIP actions.
Rep. Frank Paron, a Democrat from New Jersey, has made clear that the layoffs of ACIP members are not going to support the commitment Kennedy made to the senators during the confirmation process that he would not rob Americans of access to the vaccine.
Palone, the committee’s highest ranked Democrat, asked to appear before the panel again “quickly” again for surveillance over the “unprecedented and troublesome chaos” created around vaccine panels and vaccine access.
Kennedy fired 17 vaccine committee members and said there was a conflict of interest with the pharmaceutical industry. “That committee was a template for medical malpractice,” he said. Previous committee members disputes are disclosed on the CDC website.
The committee has traditionally advised the CDC on recommendations on who should get the vaccine. The CDC directive shapes coverage of doctor recommendations and insurance company vaccinations.
After removing recent members, Kennedy couldn’t scrutinize safety concerns, saying the committee was “stricken by a sustained conflict of interest.”
However, the eight alternatives Warren wrote in her letter are filled with conflicts of interest in themselves – and the disclosure of the new ACIP members’ conflict of interest is not posted on the CDC site.
Warren’s letter mentioned Dr. Robert Malone, a new vaccine advisor who proposed for mRNA vaccines and COVID-19 measurements. Warren said in his letter that his substances promulgated these theories, “at one point it had raked around $31,200 in monthly revenue,” causing concerns of conflict of interest.
Warren also highlighted Dr. Martin Kruldorf, a longtime friend of Dr. Jay Battacharya, a longtime friend of the National Institutes of Health, and his co-author, Dr. Martin Kruldorf, on the great Barrington Declaration, who insisted relaxed lockdown measures for young people.
She said both Malone and Kruldorf have been paid witnesses to vaccine manufacturers in recent years, raising concerns about their own conflict of interest.
The senator also flagged Dr. Vicki Pebworth, appointee on the board of directors of the National Vaccine Information Center, who is critical of the vaccine, and Dr. James Pagano, “someone who appears to be untrained in infectious diseases or vaccine studies.”
Warren also questioned Dr. Michael Ross’ current position. Michael Ross said in his announcement that he works at George Washington University and Virginia Commonwealth University. Both universities tell CNN that obstetricians and gynecologists have not worked for the institution for several years. He recently worked for a private equity and Maryland-based biotech startup.
The senator wrote that Kennedy “hands-selected” these new members to further promote his anti-vaccine agenda.”
Warren has described Kennedy’s own conflict of interest as well as financial benefits in the vaccine lawsuit, as it is “not completely resolved.” Kennedy believes he will sell his interest in cases involving HPV vaccine Gardasil to his adult son.
In her new letter, Warren requested a response from Kennedy by July 8th.
Warren’s letters arrive as surprises rise about the panel’s scheduled meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. This will include discussions about the Covid-19 vaccine and revived discussions about thimeromonkeys in flu shots.
Preservatives are used in multi-dose vials of vaccines to prevent microorganism growth, but were removed from most shots decades ago due to concerns that they contain mercury forms. Subsequent studies showed that thimerosal was not associated with neurodevelopmental issues, including autism.
Cassidy, the chairman of the Senate Health Committee, also issued an alarm Monday night. The senator called on HHS to delay the ACIP meeting, writing that some of the new appointees “have no experience studying new technologies such as mRNA vaccines and may have preconceived notions about them.”
The panel’s meeting should be postponed until fully staffed, “including those with more robust and balanced expressions as required by the law, and with more direct and relevant expertise.”
During a House Subcommittee hearing Tuesday, Rep. Kim Schlie, a Democrat from Washington, asked Kennedy if he “lied” to Cassidy about his commitment to vaccine safety. Cassidy said in a floor speech to the senator on Feb. 4 that Kennedy, among other assurances, “promised to maintain the recommendations of the Disease Control and Prevention Practices Advisory Committee on vaccination practices without modification.”
Cassidy’s prepared remarks, as posted on his website, said the Secretary “will maintain the Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Vaccination Practices without change.”
Kennedy did not see Cassidy’s statement, but said, “I am in compliance with all the agreements I have given to Senator Cassidy.”
A Cassidy spokesman told CNN: “As Senator Cassidy publicly said, commitment is about the ACIP process, not staffing.” A spokesman for HHS also pointed out Cassidy’s floor remarks.
