Kennedy's Purge Is a ‘Code Red' for Vaccines in America

'Some people believe that the term anti-vaxxer is a pejorative,' the physician Robert Malone wrote on June 9. 'I do not — I view it as high praise.'
Early in the pandemic, Malone campaigned for treatment with ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine and against mRNA vaccines, which he described as 'causing a form of' AIDS, though he later admitted he received the Moderna vaccine to treat his own long Covid. In 2021, Malone circulated a 2013 video of a high school athlete collapsing on the football field, blaming coronavirus vaccination for the death before he was served with a cease-and-desist letter from the family. More recently, he dismissed as 'misinformation' news reports attributing the deaths of two girls in Texas to measles, blaming not vaccine refusal but 'medical errors,' and last fall published a book, 'PsyWar,' claiming that between the C.I.A. and Department of Defense, the United States maintains 'reality-bending information control capabilities' and that much of federal government's business is conducted via sexual favor. 'The term 'anti-vaxxer,'' he repeated June 9, 'it is not a slur, but a compliment.'
Two days later, he was appointed to the advisory board that steers America's vaccine policy.
Richard Nixon conducted his 'Saturday night massacre,' back in 1973, when one after another federal prosecutor refused to withdraw a subpoena of the White House tapes. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health and human services secretary, staged his night of the long knives a week ago Monday, firing all 17 members of the vaccine advisory board, called the A.C.I.P., in one fell swoop — a historically unprecedented action and one that broke an explicit promise he made to Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana and a physician, as a condition of his confirmation as secretary. The epidemiologist and immunologist Michael Mina called Kennedy's move a 'code red' for vaccines in America.
None of the A.C.I.P. advisers were warned or had their firings explained; they had to read the news in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that accused them of 'malevolent malpractice.' Cassidy, who dodged questions from reporters on the subject, was left sputtering on X: 'Of course, now the fear is that the A.C.I.P. will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion.' Malone, whose appointment to the board hadn't yet been announced, posted proudly, 'Promises made, promises kept.'
The new appointees are not all fully committed skeptics — though, beyond Malone, they include several people who have testified in lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers, as well as a longstanding board member for an anti-vaccine nonprofit and an M.I.T. business-school professor who has been publicly describing mRNA vaccines as mass killers since 2023. (The choices also include a nutritional scientist focused on fatty acids in the brain and a founder of a biotech company without a single piece of published research to his name.)
The new group fails to include experts on any diseases that vaccines prevent. Or experts on vaccines themselves. Or experts on infectious-disease epidemiology. Or experts on clinical trials. 'We've taken people who had expertise and fired them for a bogus reason,' says the University of Pennsylvania vaccinologist Paul Offit, a former member of the A.C.I.P. and the creator of the rotavirus vaccine. In their place have been installed what the bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel, also of the University of Pennsylvania, described to me as 'vaccine skeptics.' Offit calls them, more pointedly, 'purveyors of disinformation.'
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NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Honoring her courage during the COVID-19 pandemic and her tireless advocacy for the medical and scientific community throughout her career, Northwell Health's Sandra Lindsay, DHSc, MBA, RN, vice president of public health advocacy, has been named a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. The Academy is a policy organization and an honorific society that recognizes nursing's most accomplished leaders in policy, research, practice, administration and academia. On December 14, 2020, Dr. Lindsay gained international acclaim as the first person in the United States to receive the COVID-19 vaccine outside of a clinical trial. This courageous act earned her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, from President Joe Biden on July 7, 2022, along with numerous other accolades. She has since become a leading voice for scientific and clinical advocacy, global health, health equity and nursing leadership. Induction into the Academy is a significant milestone in a nurse leader's career in which their accomplishments are honored by their colleagues within and outside the profession. Fellows are selected based on their significant contributions and impact to advance the public's health. 'I am deeply honored and humbled to be inducted into the American Academy of Nursing. This recognition is not just for me, but for my entire nurse family at Northwell and beyond, who tirelessly dedicate themselves to the health and well-being of our communities,' said Dr. Lindsay. 'This fellowship affirms the vital role nurses play in shaping health care, advocating for our patients, and advancing the profession. It inspires me to continue working towards a more equitable and just health care system for all, and I am incredibly grateful for the support and encouragement I've received along the way.' Dr. Lindsay is a champion for community health and public policy, working to correct misinformation and promote both medical research and global health equity. She brings nearly three decades of nursing experience to this role, including her previous position as director of patient care services in critical care at Northwell's Long Island Jewish Medical Center. As vice president of public health advocacy and host of Northwell's award-winning 20-Minute Health Talk podcast, Dr. Lindsay has used her platform to focus on improving health care access, particularly overseas and in her homeland, Jamaica. In addition to leading clinical trips abroad, she has also championed efforts to address period poverty, ensuring young girls and women in Jamaica have access to essential menstrual supplies and resources. 'Sandra's induction into the American Academy of Nursing is a tremendous accomplishment that recognizes her extraordinary contributions,' said Maureen White, Northwell's executive vice president and chief nursing officer. 'Her career and personal achievements exemplify the power of hard work and dedication, while her unwavering commitment to the medical community, especially during and after the pandemic, has been inspiring. On behalf of Northwell Health, and particularly our dedicated nursing staff, we congratulate her on this prestigious honor.' Her writing has appeared in publications such as TIME Magazine, American Nurse Journal, and Nursing Management, and she is a sought-after speaker at international forums and events on public health topics. Dr. Lindsay also authored the memoir ' First in Line: How COVID-19 Placed Me on the Frontlines of a Health Care Crisis,' which chronicles her life's journey from her upbringing as an immigrant to becoming a prominent advocate for health equity. Dr. Lindsay immigrated to the United States from Jamaica with her siblings in 1986 to fulfill her aspiration of becoming a nurse. Her academic credentials include an associate degree in nursing from Borough of Manhattan Community College, a Bachelor of Science in nursing from St. Joseph's College, a Master of Science in nursing from Herbert Lehman College, and both a Master of Business Administration and an honorary doctorate from Hofstra University. Dr. Lindsay and the 2025 inductees will be recognized for their substantial, sustained and significant contributions to health and health care at the Academy's annual Health Policy Conference, taking place on October 16-18, 2025 in Washington, D.C., during the Induction Ceremony on the evening of October 18th. After the ceremony, the new inductees can use their FAAN (Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing) credential, the most prestigious recognition in nursing. Kerri Scanlon, MSN, RN, FAAN, Northwell's senior vice president and president of Glen Cove, Plainview and Syosset Hospitals and Ashley Graham-Perel, EdD, RN, NPD-BC, MEDSURG-BC, CNE, FADLN, FAAN, assistant professor of nursing at Columbia University sponsored Dr. Lindsay for her fellowship. The newest Fellows, were selected from a sizeable and competitive pool of applicants, represent 42 states, the District of Columbia, and 12 countries. Their unique expertise will soon bolster the collective impact of over 3,200 Academy Fellows. Academy Fellows hold a wide variety of influential roles in health care and collectively they contribute their thought leadership to develop sound policy that help to achieve the Academy's vision of healthy lives for all people. About Northwell Health Northwell is the largest not-for-profit health system in the Northeast, serving residents of New York and Connecticut with 28 hospitals, more than 1,000 outpatient facilities, 22,000 nurses and over 20,000 physicians. Northwell cares for more than three million people annually in the New York metro area, including Long Island, the Hudson Valley, western Connecticut and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Northwell is New York State's largest private employer with over 104,000 employees – including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners and Nuvance Health Medical Practices – who are working to change health care for the better. Northwell is making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Northwell is training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.