Judge blocks RFK Jr's changes to US childhood vaccine sch...

What’s Happening

Listen up: Kennedy had slashed the number of recommended vaccines from 17 to 11, sparking a backlash from health the experts.

Judge blocks RFK Jrs changes to US childhood vaccine schedule 10 hours ago Save Madeline Halpert Save A judge sided with medical groups who dropped Kennedys changes to vaccines had violated federal law A federal judge on Monday blocked the US government from making sweeping changes to childhood immunisations, in a blow to Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jrs agenda. Since taking office a year ago, Kennedy has sought to change and loosen vaccine regulations, including slashing the number of recommended shots for children from 17 to 11. (and honestly, same)

The American Academy of Pediatrics and other large medical groups had sued, saying Kennedys changes violated federal law.

The Details

Judge Brian Murphy also suspended Kennedys appointments to an advisory vaccine panel, many of whom were vaccine-sceptics. Kennedy was a longtime antivaccine activist before joining President Donald Trumps administration.

The ruling means a scheduled Wednesday meeting for the vaccine panel, called the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (Acip) will be postponed, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Trump administration is expected to appeal the ruling.

Why This Matters

In a statement, HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon dropped the agency “looks forward to this judges decision being overturned just like his other attempts to keep the Trump administration from governing”. Medical groups who brought the suit, meanwhile, lauded the decision, including the American Medical Association, the largest US professional organization for doctors, which called it “an important step toward protecting the health of Americans, particularly children”. After taking the helm at HHS, Kennedy fired all the members of Acip, an advisory panel made up of outside the experts that issues recommendations to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on who should get jabs and when.

Medical professionals are taking note of this development.

The Bottom Line

After taking the helm at HHS, Kennedy fired all the members of Acip, an advisory panel made up of outside the experts that issues recommendations to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on who should get jabs and when. Kennedy replaced them with his own picks, who have mostly expressed a host of sceptical views about vaccines.

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