The American College of Physicians called on President Trump and Congress to replace Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, citing actions that undermine evidence-based science and destabilize public health.
The American Medical Association is pressing for reversal of Kennedy's dismissal of all voting members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Meanwhile, a coalition of national medical and public-health organizations have urged Kennedy's resignation, and several groups have sued to block recent vaccine-policy changes.
In a statement, the American College of Physicians (ACP) also praised Operation Warp Speed for enabling COVID-19 vaccines, "which saved millions of lives," and urged appointment of a qualified health expert to lead HHS.
On May 27, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) warned that Kennedy's move to stop recommending COVID-19 vaccination for healthy children and pregnant people could restrict access because many insurers follow federal guidance. IDSA underscored pregnancy as a risk factor for severe outcomes and noted that infants and children can develop severe disease or long COVID; the society urged insurers to maintain coverage and called for congressional oversight.
On June 9, Kennedy dismissed all 17 voting members of ACIP. The next day, the AMA adopted an emergency resolution seeking immediate reversal and Senate oversight, and the California Medical Association labeled the action "reckless" and "anti-science." On June 11, HHS named eight new advisers, including individuals who have expressed skepticism toward established vaccine policy, raising questions about ACIP's ability to deliver impartial, science-based recommendations ahead of its June 25 meeting.
"Lives are 100% at stake, no question about it," said Wendy Armstrong, MD, vice president at the Infectious Diseases Society of America. "That you can no longer trust the recommendations out of the CDC is just devastating. It's appalling to think we can't trust that information is science-based anymore."
On July 7, the American Academy of Pediatrics, ACP, IDSA, the American Public Health Association (APHA), the Massachusetts Public Health Alliance, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and a pregnant physician filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The complaint challenges the unilateral recommendation changes, the ACIP dismissals, and the appointment of replacements who have historically espoused anti-vaccine viewpoints and seeks preliminary and permanent injunctions. The organizations urge patients to follow clinicians’ vaccine guidance while the case proceeds.
"People want information they can trust to make critical decisions about their health. Until now, we've been able to say look at the CDC. Unfortunately, we're not able to do that anymore," said Richard Besser, MD, former acting CDC director.
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