Kennedy Bans Biased “Special Interest” Groups from ACIP Meetings
Updated
In early June, sparking hope in those of us outplayed by the profound influence that special interest groups have held over the vaccine policies that are surely sickening our children, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), dismissed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and replaced them with a group of eight handpicked advisors. In early August, this bold move was strengthened further by the removal of more than a half-dozen of “the nation’s top medical organizations” from attending the workgroups of ACIP. Historically, these liaison workgroups have played a pivotal role in establishing vaccination recommendations. Indeed, with nearly 80 doses on the current vaccine schedule, it is well established that children in the United States are incredibly unhealthy. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon confirmed the decision for the ouster in an email, stating:
“Under the old ACIP, outside pressure to align with vaccine orthodoxy limited asking the hard questions. The old ACIP members were plagued by conflicts of interest, influence, and bias. We are fulfilling our promise to the American people to never again allow those conflicts to taint vaccine recommendations.”
“Experts will continue to be included based on relevant experience and expertise, not because of what organization they are with.”
At least some of the 30 organizations that have furnished year-round assistance to ACIP received an email from the ACIP secretariat informing them that “by definition, liaison organizations are special interest groups and therefore are expected to have a ‘bias’ based on their constituency and/or population that they represent.” The email declared that “ACIP work groups will no longer include liaison organizations,” but added that “approved liaison organizations” could continue to take part in open meetings.
As expected, many of the organizations that were disinvited from ACIP discussions were not pleased. In a press release following the expulsions, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) shared that it is “deeply concerned” with ACIP’s decision to label liaison organizations as “special interest groups,” noting that the implication that it holds “bias” is “disgraceful and disrespectful.” Likewise, the American Medical Association (AMA) released a statement declaring that the group is “deeply disappointed and alarmed” that they are being characterized as biased, insisting instead that the group’s contributions to ACIP “have long helped ensure our nation’s vaccine program is safe, effective, and free from bias.” AMA further stated:
“For decades, liaisons from our organizations have reviewed published and unpublished data and literature related to vaccine efficacy, effectiveness, and safety and provided unbiased input for ACIP’s consideration. To remove our deep medical expertise from this vital and once transparent process is irresponsible, dangerous to our nation’s health, and will further undermine public and clinician trust in vaccines. We strongly urge the Administration to reconsider excluding our organizations from participating in the ACIP vaccine review process so we can continue to feel confident in its vaccine recommendations for our patients.”
Undoubtedly, these groups, which also include the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Geriatrics Society, the American Osteopathic Association, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the National Medical Association, are upset about being kicked out of their profitable arrangement. But hold on a minute. Their dismissal is crucial to making America healthy again.
Why? Well, it turns out every single one of these groups has been cozying up to Big Pharma, pocketing cash from the likes of Moderna, Merck, and Pfizer. It’s like finding out your health advisor is secretly on the payroll of a candy company while preaching about sugar-free diets. Conflict of interest, anyone? Despite this fact, these ousted groups recently decided to throw a legal tantrum, suing public health bigwigs, including Kennedy, over changes to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for kids and pregnant women. Leading the charge is Richard Henry Hughes IV, a lawyer who was Moderna’s vice president of public policy during the Spikevax gold rush. Oh, and he’s got Merck on his resume, too. He is essentially the pharmaceutical industry’s MVP, and now he’s fighting to keep the vaccine gravy train going. Coincidence? Not a chance.
And the corruption involving these former ACIP contributors doesn’t end there. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently decided to take a swing at religious and philosophical vaccine exemptions for kids in daycare and school. In their latest policy flex, published in Pediatrics, they claim universal immunization is the only way to keep everyone safe. Sure, they’ll allow “legitimate” medical exemptions, but if you’re claiming freedom of religion—a constitutional right—they rush to call that problematic. Meanwhile, the AAP’s bank account is profitable thanks to annual donations from vaccine heavyweights like Moderna, Merck, and Sanofi. And, according to Open Secrets and as also reported by The Defender, the group shells out up to $1.18 million a year lobbying its agenda. That amount speaks volumes for a group overseeing the rise of over-medicated, chronically ill kids.
But wait, there’s more. The Defender notes that the AMA once got caught taking over $600,000 from drug companies to fund a campaign preaching against doctors accepting Big Pharma gifts. Ironic, right? The AMA’s funding also flows from its foundation, which gets cozy with “Roundtable members” like PhRMA, the pharma industry’s lobbying juggernaut that dropped a cool $12.88 million in Q1 2025 alone. Who are the other AMA buddies? Agmen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, and the usual suspect list of pill-pushers.
Make no mistake—the entire group uninvited from ACIP meetings is ultimately bound to the same Big Pharma cash cow, with sponsors like Pfizer, Gilead, and GSK. Oh, and the family physicians even teamed up with Amazon Pharmacy, because why not include a Tech Giant in the corruption with Big Pharma?
Of course, the mainstream media (which, remember, is primarily funded by Big Pharma) is up to its usual shenanigans when reporting on Kennedy’s decision to exclude these entities, clearly desperate to keep its stronghold. If you listen to Bloomberg and the others, Kennedy, and the HHS have gone mad, with their anti-vaccine stance set to inflict significant damage to medical care. But nothing could be further from the truth. Highlighting how the recent removal of special interest groups will empower ACIP (and ultimately protect our children), new ACIP member Retsef Levi, Ph.D., shared on X:
“Mainstream media dishonest reporting @Bloomberg continues.
ACIP WGs will engage experts from even broader set of disciplines!
WGs membership will be based on merit & expertise – not membership in organizations proven to have COIs and radical & narrow view of public health!”
