'Dangerous and unprecedented': RFK Jr. under investigation after major purge

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Raw Story

July 29, 2025 7:32PM ET


Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday launched an investigation into U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s purge of independent experts from a panel on vaccine recommendations. Last month, Kennedy announced that he was "retiring" all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, despite promising during his Senate confirmation hearing to keep the committee intact.

At the time, Sanders (I-VT), chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, warned that "firing independent vaccine experts is a dangerous, unprecedented move that will make it harder for the American people to access vaccines that are safe, effective, and essential to saving lives."

After the firings, Kennedy said, "We're going to bring great people onto the ACIP panel—not anti-vaxxers—bringing people on who are credentialed scientists."

In a letter sent to Kennedy on Tuesday, Sanders and seven other Democratic senators said those fears have come to pass. Kennedy, they said, has replaced the panel of experts with "prominent vaccine deniers."

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/rfk-jr-2673782225/

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Link to Senator Sanders' LETTER (PDF) - https://www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/7.29.25-ACIP-Letter-Final.pdf

[BoRaGard]

1. repubes need to purge their brain worms

and think about acting like decent, sober, honest Americans for a change.

[Duncanpup]

2. Not one person in this administration.

Lives in Fucking reality.

[OldBaldy1701E]

5. Why else do you think they are trying so hard to re-write it? (n/t)

[Hope22]

3. Doctors are recommending the new Covid vaccine coming this fall.

How can it be trusted?

[we can do it]

4. WTF

[Hope22]

20. My point is regarding the manipulation...

Taking a vaccine from a government department that is run by an anti vaxer seems risky. I want the vaccine to be available, clean and reliable. Pretty simple.

[we can do it]

23. 😵‍💫

[Hope22]

22. WTF......

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220527981

[Wednesdays]

13. You do you. nt

[Hope22]

21. My point is...

What will the anti vaxer in charge offer to people who want the vaccine. How tainted is the process with the thinning of the department? How would we know.

[we can do it]

24. 😵‍💫

[Phoenix61]

6. What! He lied during a Senate hearing? It's the Repuke way. nt

[Bengus81]

10. Meaningless hearings. They all LIE,especially the last three on the SC.

[MLWR]

7. RFK Jr. needs to be impeached and removed. NOW

Before he causes more damage.

[maxsolomon]

15. LOL, sure.

The Democratic Minority in the House will get right on that. I'm sure there's 60 votes in the Republican-controlled Senate to convict.

[drray23]

26. It is actually 2/3 thats needed so 67.nt.

[maxsolomon]

28. so, you're saying there's a chance.

why can't I remember that it's 67?

[MyOwnPeace]

8. Same as the 'Supremes' said

about abortion being accepted policy…….

LIARS - just like their leader.

[NJCher]

9. Oh, wonderful

After the firings, Kennedy said, "We're going to bring great people

More “great” people.

As if there were an extra 17 vaccine experts of their calibre hanging around.

And p.s., thanks Bernie. Always diligent.

[calimary]

14. And how does he define "great" here?

[womanofthehills]

19. New members - - from Groc

Kennedy claimed conflict of interest as some old members were past employees of Pfizer & Moderna

Grok

“U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced eight new members to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on June 11, 2025, after dismissing all 17 previous members. The new appointees, described by Kennedy as committed to evidence-based medicine, are:

- **Joseph R. Hibbeln, MD**: A psychiatrist and neuroscientist, formerly acting chief of the NIH’s section on nutritional neurosciences.

- **Martin Kulldorff, PhD**: A biostatistician and epidemiologist, former Harvard professor, co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, which opposed COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates for children.

- **Retsef Levi, PhD**: MIT professor of operations management, expert in healthcare analytics and risk management, has published studies on mRNA vaccine safety and cardiovascular events.

- **Robert W. Malone, MD**: A physician-scientist and biochemist, known for anti-vaccine views and skepticism about mRNA vaccine technology, aligned with Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again movement.

- **Cody Meissner, MD**: Professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, previously served on ACIP (2008–2012) and the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, co-wrote an editorial criticizing mask mandates for children.

- **James Pagano, MD**: A board-certified emergency medicine physician, described as a strong advocate for evidence-based medicine, with experience on hospital committees and medical executive boards.

- **Vicky Pebsworth, OP, PhD, RN**: A nurse, former consumer representative on the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, now associated with the National Vaccine Information Center, a group advocating for vaccine exemptions.

- **Michael A. Ross, MD**: Professor of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University and Virginia Commonwealth University, an operating partner at Havencrest, a private equity firm, with experience on biotech and healthcare boards.

These appointments have sparked controversy, with critics like the American Medical Association and public health experts expressing concern over the inclusion of vaccine skeptics and the lack of transparency in the selection process. The new panel is set to meet June 25–27, 2025, to discuss vaccine recommendations, but with only eight members, it lacks the quorum required for voting unless additional members or temporary voting authorizations are added.[](https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/11/health/kennedy-new-members-vaccine-advisory-panel)[](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr4zyp26xn2o)[](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/13/eight-new-cdc-vaccine-advisers-robert-f-kennedy)

[Joinfortmill]

11. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

[70sEraVet]

12. I don't understand why our system of government has no...

punitive consequences in place for a nominee who flatly lies in their Senate confirmation hearing!
Nominees for the Supreme Court who say that they accept Roe vs Wade as settled law to get confirmed, then rush to overturn it!

[maxsolomon]

16. Because the Constitution is toothless.

Much of it is based on the assumption that Politicians will act with honor.

[Karasu]

17. It's also not the living, breathing document it was supposed to be--nor can it be, unfortunately. The country got way

too fucking large, to the point that it's now virtually impossible to add to or otherwise modify in any way.

[Karasu]

18. Called it from the day he was nominated. The fact that he was even ALLOWED to be nominated tells you more than enough.

[Scott Alan Swaggerty]

25. Kick

[BlueKota]

27. I think that the billionaires just want the rest of us to

die, so they don't have to share, as more resources like food and water become scarcer. That and some of them are just selfish and insane.