NEW YORK — On Monday a federal judge in Massachusetts temporarily blocked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent overhaul of the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule, dealing a significant setback to his vaccine agenda.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical organizations, which argued that changes Kennedy made to vaccine recommendations—and to the CDC’s influential vaccine advisory committee—violated federal law.
Back in January, Kennedy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised the childhood immunization schedule, reducing the number of diseases recommended for routine vaccination from 18 to 11. The revisions eliminated recommendations that all infants be vaccinated against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, RSV, dengue, and two forms of bacterial meningitis.
Over 200 organizations, including the American Medical Association, the March of Dimes, and the Autism Science Foundation, responded by announcing they would disregard the federal changes and continue following the AAP’s immunization schedule.
The judge also paused the appointments of new members Kennedy had added to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which helps shape U.S. vaccine policy and determines which vaccines insurers must cover. The committee was scheduled to meet later this week, but according to AAP attorney Richard Hughes, the ruling effectively prevents that meeting from taking place.
