Overview
- Robert Malone, an ally of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stepped away Tuesday from the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee after public disputes over whether HHS would appeal the court ruling, saying he will not rejoin a relaunched panel.
- U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy issued a preliminary injunction that suspended 13 of 15 new ACIP appointees, voided the panel’s recent votes, and restored the prior childhood vaccine schedule after finding likely violations of federal advisory and procedural rules.
- The reworked committee had voted to drop several long‑standing recommendations, including the hepatitis B birth dose for newborns, rotavirus vaccination, and the annual flu shot, but those changes are paused under the injunction.
- HHS has signaled it may challenge the ruling as the CDC advisory group remains unable to convene, and public‑health experts warn the back‑and‑forth can depress routine vaccination and complicate guidance on upcoming flu and COVID shots.
- CDC‑cited data show more than 1,300 measles cases in the U.S. so far this year and a recent surge in pertussis, with coverage split as outlets like Brownstone defend the reforms while Newsday and others warn they risk public health.