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4d ago

Judge Halts RFK Jr.’s Overhaul of CDC Vaccine Panel, Freezes Recent Schedule Changes

The preliminary order cites likely violations of federal advisory and administrative law, leaving the path forward unresolved as the administration considers next steps.

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Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at the National Press Building on February 2, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy issued a preliminary injunction on Monday staying 13 of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s ACIP appointments, nullifying the panel’s recent votes, and pausing the CDC’s January 2026 memorandum that narrowed childhood vaccine recommendations.
  • The CDC canceled this week’s ACIP meetings following the ruling, and the committee cannot take further action under the current order.
  • HHS has said it will appeal the decision, though the litigation is ongoing and the injunction does not resolve the case on the merits.
  • Confusion grew over the committee’s future after ACIP appointee Robert Malone posted that the government would disband and recreate the panel, then called that a miscommunication as HHS labeled such assertions speculative without an official announcement.
  • The court criticized the government for bypassing established procedures and for appointing members lacking relevant vaccine expertise, citing likely noncompliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act and the Administrative Procedure Act.