Core Issue:
This resolution is a strong, urgent response by the American Medical Association (AMA) and several major specialty organizations to recent actions taken by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. involving changes to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)—a critical scientific advisory group within the CDC that helps set U.S. vaccine policy.
Key Points from the Resolution:
Background on ACIP: ACIP is a federally chartered expert panel advising the CDC on vaccine use. It influences both childhood and adult immunization schedules. Its recommendations trigger mandatory insurance coverage under the ACA.
Membership includes multidisciplinary medical professionals and public members. All conflicts of interest are disclosed, and recommendations are evidence-based. Concerns with RFK Jr.’s Actions: Secretary Kennedy has “fundamentally altered the structure and membership” of ACIP.
The resolution claims these changes occurred without due process or scientific justification. There is fear that this move represents political interference in what should be a scientific and public health-driven process.
AMA’s Immediate Actions:
1. Publicly advocate for preserving ACIP’s current structure and liaison programs.
2. Send a formal protest letter to the HHS Secretary demanding a reversal.
3. Request a Senate HELP Committee investigation into the changes.
4. Explore and invest in alternative evidence-based vaccine advisory structures if the integrity of ACIP is compromised.
Relevant AMA Policy Alignment:
The resolution references existing AMA policy (H-440.875), which strongly supports:
1. Broad and equitable access to all ACIP-recommended vaccines.
2. Ongoing collaboration with the federal government to maintain vaccine safety and supply.
3. Adequate compensation for clinicians administering vaccines.
4. Advocacy for vaccine coverage in both public and private insurance plans.
5. Legislative engagement to ensure public trust in vaccines.
Analysis in Light of RFK Jr.’s Anti-Vaccine History:
Given Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s longstanding public opposition to vaccines and promotion of vaccine conspiracy theories, his appointment as HHS Secretary was controversial. The AMA’s resolution appears to be a direct pushback against what it sees as the politicization of vaccine science and a threat to public health infrastructure.
This is a much needed, rare and aggressive stance by the AMA, reflecting the seriousness with which the medical community views RFK Jr.’s efforts to reshape vaccine policy. It represents institutional resistance against what they likely perceive as a dismantling of evidence-based safeguards.
Bottom Line:
The AMA and leading medical groups are mobilizing quickly and forcefully to:
1. Defend the scientific independence of ACIP.
2. Prevent erosion of public confidence in vaccines.
3. Block political influence that could undermine decades of public health gains.
This resolution signals open conflict between organized medicine and the Kennedy-led HHS, centered on the future of immunization policy in the U.S.
Dr Bob, Brain Mechanic 