On an unknown date, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr. began planning to install seven more advisers to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which is responsible for recommending vaccines and getting them covered by insurance programs and Medicaid, among other government programs.
Among these seven new members are those who have criticized vaccines and mandates to take them. Their opinion on childhood vaccines is unknown. Regardless, none of these new appointees have expertise in vaccines, just like RFK himself, who is not a scientist, doctor, or health expert. The new appointees will have little time to prepare for the September 18 meeting.
Three of the new panel members are known: Catherine Stein, Kirk Milhoan, and John Gaitanis. The former two deliberately lied about vaccines and mandates, while Gaitanis represented families who erroneously believe that they were harmed by vaccines.
In the last batch of appointments to ACIP, one member had to step down due to financial conflicts of interest. As ACIP members are permitted to sit out individual votes that represent a conflict of interest, this case must have been egregious. Several other appointees were conspiracy theorists and opposed vaccines without sound evidence.
