HHS updates vaccine panel requirements after judge’s decision

Health officials are changing the rules for who can serve on a key vaccine advisory panel after a judge ruled that many current members are unqualified.

The panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, helps guide vaccine use in the U.S., including the childhood immunization schedule.

It advises the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, headed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., released a new charter that expands the types of experts who can serve on the panel, NBC News reported.

The updated rules allow members with backgrounds in areas like biostatistics and toxicology to be considered. Earlier requirements focused solely on vaccine research and clinical use.

The changes come after a March 16 court decision when U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled that the panel had been wrongly dismantled after Kennedy removed all 17 previous members. His replacements include several vaccine skeptics.

The judge said the new panel violated federal law and noted that only six of the 15 members had meaningful vaccine experience.

He described the group as “distinctly unqualified,” and his ruling put its decisions on hold.

HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said the charter changes are routine and “do not signal any broader policy shift,” NBC News said.

The Trump administration has a 60-day window to repeal the decision.

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