Federal Judge Blocks Key Changes to Childhood Vaccine Schedule by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

A federal judge in Massachusetts has blocked key elements of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent changes to the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule, delivering a significant setback to his efforts to reshape federal vaccine policy. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy of Boston issued the ruling on Monday, siding with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical groups that challenged Kennedy’s overhaul as violating federal law.

The lawsuit, filed last year by a coalition of medical organizations and physicians, argued that Kennedy and his allies at HHS made arbitrary and capricious decisions by cutting the number of recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11. The revised schedule, introduced earlier this year, removed universal recommendations for vaccines against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), dengue, and two types of bacterial meningitis, instead limiting some vaccines to high-risk groups. The changes drew criticism from numerous health groups, including the American Medical Association and the March of Dimes, many of which vowed to continue following the AAP’s immunization guidelines rather than the new federal recommendations.

Judge Murphy’s ruling also halted the appointment of 13 new members to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a panel that has advised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine schedules since 1964. Kennedy had dismissed all 17 previous ACIP members shortly after taking office and replaced them with appointees, several of whom have expressed skepticism about established vaccine science. The judge found that the government bypassed the committee’s expertise and failed to follow the established, science-based procedures codified in law. He noted that only six of the new appointees appeared to have meaningful vaccine experience and that the appointments lacked a rigorous screening process.

The ruling also stayed any votes taken by the new ACIP members since June, including a decision to no longer recommend the hepatitis B vaccine for all newborns. The upcoming ACIP meeting scheduled for later this week was postponed following the court’s decision. Dr. Andrew Racine, president of the AAP, praised the ruling as a “critical step to restoring scientific decision-making to federal vaccine policy that has kept children healthy for years.” Dr. Richard Besser, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, called the decision “a triumph of science over misinformation.” An HHS spokesperson expressed confidence that the ruling would be overturned on appeal, describing it as part of ongoing efforts to block the Trump administration’s governance.

Since taking office, Kennedy has pursued a controversial agenda aimed at limiting vaccine use and altering vaccine approval processes. His actions include firing the entire ACIP, issuing new vaccine testing rules that experts say could hinder approval of new vaccines, restricting COVID-19 vaccine availability for people under 65, and removing recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women to receive COVID-19 shots. These moves have sparked confusion among pediatricians and contributed to declining public trust in health agencies, according to recent surveys. The legal battle over Kennedy’s vaccine policies is expected to continue, with the possibility of appeals reaching higher courts.