Federal Judge Blocks RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Advisory Panel Changes

BOSTON — A federal judge on Monday blocked a series of changes to U.S. vaccine policy championed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including the decision to reduce the number of vaccines universally recommended for children.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy put on hold decisions made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, ruling that Kennedy had improperly replaced the entire committee.

‘Arbitrary and Capricious’

The judge found that Kennedy and the committee made arbitrary and capricious decisions and disregarded a long-established scientific process for developing vaccine policy. In his ruling, Murphy wrote that the government had disregarded those methods and thereby undermined the integrity of its actions.

The order stays the appointment of 13 committee members named by Kennedy since June 2025, when he fired the panel’s previous members. Many of the new appointees had been critical of vaccines.

The reconstituted committee had issued a number of contested recommendations, including advice that not all newborns should receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth.

Meeting Postponed

HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon confirmed that the ruling forced the committee to postpone a meeting scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. The panel had been expected to raise new questions about Covid-19 vaccines and possibly change how federal vaccine policies are developed.

The administration plans to appeal. In an email to NPR, Nixon said HHS expected the decision to be overturned, as he said had happened with the judge’s other rulings against the administration.

Medical Groups Celebrate

The lawsuit was brought by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other leading health organizations. Dr. Andrew Racine, the academy’s president, called the ruling a historic and welcome outcome for children, communities and pediatricians.

Infectious disease experts across the country also welcomed the decision, which restores, at least temporarily, the influence of the traditional evidence-review process used to set the nation’s vaccine recommendations.

Why ACIP Matters

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices advises the CDC on which vaccines should be recommended and for whom. Its recommendations shape the childhood immunization schedule, guide doctors and pharmacists, and influence whether insurers must cover vaccines without cost to patients.

In January, the CDC revised the childhood schedule to reduce the number of diseases covered by universal recommendations from 17 to 11, moving vaccines such as those for hepatitis B, influenza and Covid-19 into risk-based or shared decision-making categories. Medical groups argued the changes bypassed proper scientific review.

What Happens Next

The case is expected to move to a federal appeals court. Until then, the ruling leaves uncertainty for states, health systems and insurers that had begun adjusting to the new federal guidance, while pediatric organizations continue to urge families to follow their own recommended schedules.