Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has just delivered crushing blows to the vaccine industry.
Kennedy has taken swift action in his first week on the job, pulling promotional vaccine ads and indefinitely postponing a key advisory panel meeting.
RFK Jr. started by directing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to remove its “Wild to Mild” flu vaccine campaign.
The campaign depicted a lion and a kitten as a metaphor for how the flu shot weakens the virus.
The campaign was intended to address declining flu vaccination rates amid a severe flu season.
However, Kennedy has pushed for a shift in the CDC’s approach, focusing on “informed consent” rather than persuasive advertising tactics.
In addition to scrapping the flu shot promotion, Kennedy also delayed the first meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
ACIP is a CDC panel responsible for providing recommendations on vaccines.
The meeting, originally scheduled for next week, would have covered guidance on immunizations for COVID-19, influenza, RSV, meningococcal disease, HPV, and monkeypox.
This postponement marks the first time in over 40 years that an ACIP meeting has been delayed outside of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kennedy’s actions have raised concerns among health professionals, who fear shifting the focus toward vaccine risks could lead to decreased immunization rates.
Critics worry that emphasizing potential side effects—most commonly mild reactions like injection site pain—could discourage individuals from receiving vaccines that help prevent serious illness.
During his confirmation process, Kennedy faced scrutiny from lawmakers, particularly Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), a physician and strong proponent of vaccinations.
Cassidy expressed concern over Kennedy’s past claims about a potential link between vaccines and autism.
In response, Kennedy assured senators that he would not alter the national vaccine schedule and pledged to give Congress advance notice of any policy changes.
However, following his confirmation, Kennedy signaled that vaccine policies could still be subject to review.
Kennedy reportedly told HHS staff that “nothing is off limits” when evaluating factors contributing to chronic illnesses in children.
The ACIP plays a significant role in shaping vaccine recommendations, with its guidance influencing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decisions and insurance coverage for immunizations.
Critics in the vaccine industry warn that delaying the panel’s work could disrupt vaccine availability and increase the risk of preventable diseases spreading.
Dr. William Schaffner, a pharmaceutical industry infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, voiced concern over the meeting’s indefinite postponement.
“I’ve been associated with ACIP for 40 years and I don’t recall a previously postponed meeting” outside of the Covid pandemic, Schaffner told NBC News.
“The postponement of a routinely scheduled meeting is concerning.”
The official reason given for the delay was to allow for additional public comment before the meeting is held.
Kennedy has previously laid out a policy blueprint advocating for stricter vaccine regulations.
His proposals include subjecting vaccines to the same approval standards as other pharmaceutical drugs, enhancing adverse event reporting systems, eliminating legal protections for vaccine manufacturers, and reassessing vaccine recommendations established before modern evidence-based guidelines.
While Kennedy’s approach does not explicitly reject vaccines, it has drawn criticism from vax-pushers for echoing arguments frequently made by vaccination skeptics.
Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatric immunologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the FDA’s independent vaccine advisory committee, suggested that Kennedy’s decision to remove CDC vaccine campaigns could be part of a broader strategy to reduce the agency’s influence on immunization policy.
“They don’t want the CDC to be in a position to recommend vaccines for children,” Offit said.
“They want to eliminate their recommending status.
“So I think this might be the first step in that.”
https://slaynews.com/news/rfk-jr-drops-bombshells-vaccine-industry/
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