US health secretary ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory committee
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr has fired every member of a vital scientific committee, that advises the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on how to use vaccines, pledging to replace them with his own staff.
His actions have come under the radar with various groups having criticised his decision, which they feel may endanger the future use of vaccines in the US. Major physicians in the country have slammed the decision to oust all 17 members of the panel.
Tom Frieden, president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives and former director of the CDC, accused Kennedy of 'politicising' the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP), warning that it could undermine public trust established through years of commitment and hard work.
'We'll look back at this as a grave mistake that sacrificed decades of scientific rigour, undermined public trust, and opened the door for fringe theories rather than facts,' he added.
But Kennedy insists the decision was taken on merit since several members had many conflicts of interest while they were holding a position on the board.
Members are currently required to declare any potential such conflicts, as well as business interests, that arise during their tenure. They also must disclose any possible conflicts at the start of each public meeting.
Although it's typically not viewed as a partisan board, the entire current roster of committee members were Biden appointees.
The health secretary said in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal that the Trump administration would not have been able to appoint new members until 2028 without removing the current roster.
'A clean sweep is needed to re-establish public confidence in vaccine science,' said Kennedy Jr.
Frieden says the health secretary's actions were based on false conflict of interest claims and sets 'a dangerous and unprecedented action that makes our families less safe' by potentially reducing vaccine access for millions of people.
Georges Benjamin of the American Public Health Association (APHA) called the ouster 'a coup.' Bruce Scott of the American Medical Association (AMA) warned the decision could lead to lower vaccination rates and more disease outbreaks.
Scott also called the ACIP a trusted source of science- and data-driven advice and said Kennedy's move, coupled with declining vaccination rates across the country, will help drive an increase in vaccine-preventable diseases.
Kennedy has long been a staunch critic of vaccination programmes, gaining popularity as one of the nation's leading anti-vaccine activists, prior to his appointment as top US health official.
Last month, he changed the CDC's COVID-19 guidelines – without first consulting the committee – removing it as a recommended vaccination for children and pregnant women, leaving that decision in the hands of patients.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a security meeting on Wednesday following his phone call with US President Donald Trump.
Israeli media says the call between Trump and Netanyahu lasted around 40 minutes, with the pair discussing a wide range of topics, from the war on Gaza to developments in the Iran nuclear deal.
Asked about his call with Netanyahu, Trump didn't offer much detail, but insisted that the call with the Israeli premier went well.
"Very well. Yeah, we discussed a lot of things, and it went very well. Very smooth. We'll see what happens. You know, we're trying to do something with a country we just spoke about, Iran,' said Trump.
Trump however revealed that negotiations appear to be stagnant due to the Iranians being 'good negotiators'. He also again warned that a violent US approach to Tehran is not off the table.
'Sometimes they can be too tough. That's the problem. So, we are trying to make a deal so that there's no destruction and death. And we've told them that, and I've told them that, and I hope that's the way it works out. But it might not work out that way."
Joining the security meeting with Netanyahu – according to Israeli media – are Defence Minister Israel Katz, Shas party chairperson Aryeh Deri and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
Far-right figures who will also reportedly be taking part in the meeting include National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Ben Gvir and Smotrich are not typically included in such high-level meetings.
The meeting comes as Tehran is expected to respond to Washington's proposal for a nuclear deal. The Iranian response is expected to arrive in the form of a counter to the US proposal.
Washington has reportedly proposed to allow Tehran to continue enriching uranium, but at low levels and for a limited time period. This will then be halted when a consortium is established for the enrichment of uranium for Iran and other countries outside of Iranian territory.
Tehran is expected to reject this proposal, with rumours emerging that Iranian officials will not accept a deal in which they're told what to do on their own territory.
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