HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed two new members to the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee Feb. 27, ahead of a rescheduled meeting in mid-March where members are expected to review COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.
Mr. Kennedy said Sean Downing, MD, and Angelina Farella, MD, will join the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Dr. Downing is a Florida-based internal medicine and pediatric physician who offers concierge care at a clinic in Sarasota, Fla., HHS said in a news release. Dr. Farella practiced pediatric medicine for more than 20 years. She owns a practice in Webster, Texas.
“These appointments strengthen ACIP with experienced clinicians who understand how immunization guidance matters for patients and families,” Jay Bhattaracharya, MD, PhD, said in a news release. Dr. Bhattacharya was recently named acting director of the CDC, following the exit of Jim O’Neill.
The ACIP is responsible for reviewing vaccine safety and efficacy data to make recommendations to the CDC director. The committee’s guidance typically influences insurance coverage and state immunization requirements. Mr. Kennedy overhauled the ACIP in June, replacing all former members with a new roster of handpicked individuals. Many of the new members have a history of anti-vaccine rhetoric.
In social media posts and news interviews, Dr. Farella has questioned the safety and efficacy of COVID vaccines, according to Bloomberg.
The committee is scheduled to meet March 18-19 after canceling a previously planned Feb. 25-27 meeting. A federal notice indicates the panel will discuss COVID vaccines, including vaccine injuries and long COVID. In January, ACIP member Robert Malone, MD, said the committee may consider whether to rescind its COVID vaccine recommendations. The FDA has authority to remove vaccines from the market, though ACIP’s guidance significantly influences insurance coverage and access.
The meeting comes amid ongoing legal challenges to Mr. Kennedy’s overhaul of the panel and broader changes to federal vaccine policy under his leadership, including scaling back the CDC’s routine childhood immunization schedule and the removal of COVID vaccine guidance for healthy children and pregnant women. Fifteen states and several medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, have filed lawsuits alleging HHS violated federal administrative and advisory committee laws. In a recent court filing, the AAP also asked a federal judge to suspend the upcoming ACIP meeting.
HHS has not publicly said why the February meeting was canceled.
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