Judge blocks US Government from slimming down vaccine recommendations
3 hours ago
- #vaccine-policy
- #legal-challenge
- #public-health
- A federal judge temporarily blocked U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from reducing the number of recommended childhood vaccines.
- The judge ruled that Kennedy likely violated federal procedures in restructuring a key vaccine advisory committee (ACIP) with anti-vaccine voices.
- The decision halted Kennedy’s order to end broad vaccine recommendations for flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A/B, meningitis, and RSV.
- The lawsuit, filed by medical groups, initially challenged Kennedy’s move to stop recommending COVID-19 vaccines for most children and pregnant women.
- Judge Brian E. Murphy ordered a pause on ACIP’s reconstituted membership and its decisions, calling the restructuring likely unlawful.
- Medical and public health groups praised the ruling as a step toward restoring science-based vaccine policies.
- Federal health officials plan to appeal, while Kennedy’s appointees urged the administration to continue pursuing vaccine policy changes.