Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has appointed eight new members to a federal vaccine advisory panel, including Dr. Robert Malone, a controversial figure who once claimed people were "hypnotized" into believing official COVID-19 guidance.

On Wednesday, Kennedy announced the new slate for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on an X post. The panel advises both the CDC and HHS on vaccine policy.

According to Kennedy, all eight appointees are committed to requiring robust safety and efficacy data before recommending any new vaccines. Among the group is Malone, a former researcher involved in early mRNA studies who gained notoriety for his 2021 appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience.

In the episode, he likened COVID-19 health messaging to mass hypnosis and made comparisons between vaccine mandates and Nazi-era medical experiments—comments that drew widespread backlash from public health experts.

Following the episode, over 250 healthcare professionals signed an open letter urging Spotify to address what they called the podcast's promotion of COVID-19 misinformation, according to the Daily Beast. Malone has since defended his remarks, claiming that labeling dissent as misinformation is a tactic used to discredit legitimate debate.

The other new ACIP members include Dr. Martin Kulldorff, known for opposing pandemic restrictions, and several researchers and physicians with backgrounds in public health and epidemiology. The committee's next meeting is scheduled for June 25.

Originally published on Latin Times