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Kennedy Prepares to Name New Vaccine Panel Members
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is considering appointing seven members to the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) independent vaccine advisory panel — many of whom share his skepticism of COVID-19 vaccines or the pharmaceutical industry — according to an internal list seen by POLITICO and confirmed by two people with knowledge of the list.
The list of names — which was first made public by Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston — includes at least three people who have questioned the safety of messenger RNA vaccines against COVID-19.
The panel is slated to meet this month, on Sept. 18 and 19, and the committee is expected to vote to update recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines, as well as other immunizations.
POLITICO reached out to all seven people listed for comment, several of whom noted they have not been officially asked to join the committee. An HHS spokesperson told POLITICO “you will hear it from us when there are [new] members to announce.”
Kennedy, in June, fired the entire panel of 17 outside experts and replaced them with seven new members who are more closely aligned with his own views of vaccines.
Kennedy has long questioned the safety and effectiveness of mRNA technology and, before becoming health secretary, said he believes that autism comes from vaccines.
FDA Questions Common Practice of Getting Covid, Flu Vaccines Together
Vinay Prasad, the agency’s top vaccine official and an RFK Jr. ally, says the U.S. Food and Drug administration (FDA) is now unsure if it is safe and effective. The FDA is scrutinizing the common practice of giving coronavirus and flu shots together, signaling a reversal of years of federal guidance and a broader crackdown on administering multiple vaccines at the same time.
Vinay Prasad, the FDA’s top vaccine regulator, recently announced that his team will require new clinical trials before allowing pharmaceutical companies to claim that coadministering multiple respiratory virus vaccines is safe and effective — a plan that was dismissed by outside experts as unnecessary and potentially counterproductive.
The shift under Prasad, which he described as part of a new “evidence-based philosophy,” could have implications that go beyond the fall respiratory vaccination season and potentially reverse long-standing guidance that encourages Americans to get multiple vaccines at the same time.
He wrote in a memo last week that FDA officials “cannot affirm” the safety and efficacy of administering multiple vaccines for the coronavirus, flu and other conditions such as RSV at the same time. In recent years, federal agencies embraced multiple shots in one visit as a way to increase protection against respiratory viruses with no serious downsides.
Colorado Issues Orders Allowing People to Get a COVID Vaccination This Year Without a Prescription
Colorado officials on Wednesday issued public health orders aimed at making it easier for Coloradans to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster this fall. The orders essentially create a standing prescription allowing for any Coloradan ages six months or older to receive a COVID-19 shot if they or their parents choose.
That is significant because pharmacy heavyweights CVS and Walgreens, amid confusion over federal vaccine policy, have thus far refused to administer COVID-19 shots this year to anyone in Colorado without a doctor’s prescription. In addition, the state Board of Pharmacy will meet Friday to discuss rule changes that could further ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines.
“Colorado is committed to empowering individuals to make choices to protect their own health and safety,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement, “and I will not allow ridiculous and costly red tape or decisions made far away in Washington to keep Coloradans from accessing vaccines.” The prescription order goes into effect on Friday.
Medical and Public Health Leaders Demand RFK Jr.’s Resignation, as Growing Number of HHS Employees Also Join the Call
Twenty-one medical and public health organizations are demanding that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. step down from his position as the head of the federal health department, citing what they call his efforts to “undermine science and public health.”
The public statement from more than 20 organizations comes as about 1,000 former and current staffers at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also are calling for RFK Jr.’s resignation, warning that he “continues to endanger the nation’s health.”
“We are gravely concerned that American people will needlessly suffer and die as a result of policies that turn away from sound interventions. After careful consideration, we insist on Kennedy’s resignation to restore the integrity, credibility and science-driven mission of HHS and all its agencies,” the Infectious Diseases Society of America wrote in the letter, which was signed by the American Public Health Association, the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, the American Academy of HIV Medicine and 17 other public health, scientific and medical organizations signed a joint statement.
In Major Shift, FDA to Start Releasing Rejection Letters Shortly After They’re Issued
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it would start releasing rejection letters soon after they are provided to drugmakers, a victory for those who wanted more transparency on what has been a hidden part of the drug review process.
The agency also made public 89 of these complete response letters from 2024 and 2025 that had previously not been disclosed, including letters to Replimune, Capricor Therapeutics, and Ultragenyx, which have recently received rejections under the Trump administration.
“This is a milestone day for the agency,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a statement. “By embracing radical transparency — one of the guiding principles of this administration — we’re giving invaluable insights to help speed therapies and cures to market, providing complete context to investors and shareholders, and above all, restoring public trust.”
