Senate Democrats open inquiry into Kennedy's vaccine panel overhaul
Senate Finance Committee Democrats Ron Wyden of Oregon and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire opened an inquiry on June 18 into Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s overhaul of federal vaccine policy, STAT News reports . They are focused on his restructuring of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the panel that shapes federal vaccine recommendations, after Kennedy fired its members and installed vaccine-skeptical appointees.
The senators requested communications on the decision-making and approval process, any risk assessments done beforehand, and vetting materials for the new members, with a deadline of the following week. Their stated aim is to assess the legality, process, and public-health consequences of the changes.
As a minority-party request without subpoena power, the inquiry faces long odds of compelling documents, but it creates a formal record and keeps oversight pressure on ACIP’s altered composition — which carries weight because its recommendations drive insurance coverage and state immunization requirements.