Key Adviser Quits Federal Vaccine Panel
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- Dr. Robert Malone, vice chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), resigned amid judicial challenges and internal conflicts, stating he would not return even if the committee is restructured.
- A federal judge ruled that the current ACIP members, appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., lacked the expertise to make vaccine recommendations, blocking the committee’s recent actions and meetings.
- Malone criticized the judge’s ruling as a personal slander, highlighting his pioneering work in mRNA technology, and cited hostile internal dynamics and public backlash as reasons for his resignation.
- The Department of Health and Human Services plans to appeal the court decision, but Malone remains disengaged, amid ongoing disputes between him and health department staff.
- The ACIP, traditionally a low-conflict advisory body, has seen unusual internal discord and public controversy since the new appointments and Malone’s outspoken opposition to mRNA Covid vaccines.
