PUBLIC HEALTHChaos Continues at CDC
RFK Jr. has replaced the scientists who served on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) with individuals who share his skepticism about the efficacy of vaccines in fighting disease. These vaccine-skeptics have formed a new working group to review the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, and named an operation research professor with no background in medicine, or in science more generally, to chair the working group. Chaos ensued.
HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. has replaced the scientists who served on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the committee which develops recommendations for vaccine use, with individuals who share his skepticism about the efficacy of vaccines in fighting disease – or who believe that vaccines pose risks to human health.
These followers of Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism, have formed a new working group to review the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. The group will be led by Restef Levi, a management and health analytics expert from MIT who holds a PhD in operations research. Levi has drawn controversy in part for his past social media posts calling for all COVID-19 vaccines to be removed from the market.
The Pandor Report writes:
This is the latest development in a series of twists and turns in vaccine policy under Kennedy. The announcement came shortly after hundreds of CDC employees in an open letter called on Kennedy to stop spreading vaccine misinformation, which they say contributed to the shooting at CDC’s main campus in Atlanta earlier this month.
Levi’s appointment kicked off yet more turmoil at the agency. He said in an interview that he plans to “…engage a range of experts in different areas; leading scientists in academia and clinicians with field experience.” He further stated, “I’m confident that, together with colleagues at the CDC and FDA, we’ll build a robust team.”
However, many doubt this will be the case. Levi’s appointment to this role, combined with broader concerns about the planned ACIP meeting this fall, brought many tensions between Kennedy and CDC leadership to a head this week, culminating in the firing of Susan Monarez and the resignation of multiple other top CDC officials.
Monarez Fired as Director, Several Other Top Officials Resign
Secretary Kennedy called former CDC Director Susan Monarez to his office in Washington earlier this week to giver her an ultimatum: fire career CDC officials and commit to backing his team if they recommended restricting access to vaccines, or risk being fired herself. Monarez had identified two red lines she refused to cross prior to her firing, according to Richard Besser, CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting CDC director.
