A federal judge in Boston has halted parts of Health Secretary RFK Jr.’s effort to revise federal vaccine guidance, including a plan to reduce recommended childhood immunizations and his decision last year to remove all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and appoint new experts.
In a ruling issued Monday, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy sided with the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical organizations that challenged the changes. The groups argued that federal health officials acted outside legal procedures while advancing a broader restructuring of national immunization policy.
The dispute centers on steps taken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on January 5 that reduced the list of routinely recommended childhood vaccines to 11 and lowered the recommendation status for several illnesses, including Rotavirus, Influenza, and Hepatitis A.
The lawsuit also targeted Kennedy’s decision last year to remove all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and appoint new experts to the panel that helps determine vaccine recommendations and insurance coverage. While the panel will still meet for a scheduled meeting this week, the judge’s ruling stays the advisers' appointments and any votes on further policy changes.
