WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Monday that it has removed all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), citing a need to restore public trust in federal vaccine recommendations.

The sweeping change, directed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., comes as part of a broader initiative to increase transparency, reduce conflicts of interest, and realign public health decisions with impartial scientific standards.

"Today we are prioritizing the restoration of public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda," Kennedy said. "The public must know that unbiased science—evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest—guides the recommendations of our health agencies."

The move follows President Donald Trump's "Restoring Gold Standard Science" executive order, which mandates the reconstitution of scientific advisory bodies to ensure their independence from industry and political influence. The HHS statement noted that 13 of the 17 committee members were appointed in 2024 by the Biden administration, which would have extended their terms into 2028.

"A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science," Kennedy said. "ACIP's new members will prioritize public health and evidence-based medicine. The Committee will no longer function as a rubber stamp for industry profit-taking agendas."

The committee, which plays a critical role in determining national immunization schedules, will convene its next meeting June 25–27 at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta. New members are currently under consideration, according to HHS.

"The entire world once looked to American health regulators for guidance, inspiration, scientific impartiality, and unimpeachable integrity," Kennedy added. "Public trust has eroded. Only through radical transparency and gold standard science, will we earn it back."