HHS dismisses members of vaccine injury advisory panel RFK Jr. is considering overhauling program that compensates people who are injured by vaccines

https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/13/hhs-dismisses-veronica-mcnally-advisory-commission-on-childhood-vaccinations/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-902htzgJ9YvSTH3LmNkfnI6G6AjLeFCh3wTnF8zIayRMgYJpWKF-v1jsC_p1OznqaVncdisU3nSSe5Fd1-sISvDjbwjQ&_hsmi=398410217&utm_content=398410217&utm_source=hs_email By Chelsea CirruzzoJan. 13, 2026 Washington Correspondent Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed two new members to the CDC’s vaccine advisory board yesterday. They’re both OB-GYNs who have at times been critical of mainstream vaccine science. And while these new members are unlikely to dramatically change the balance of the committee, they appear to further set the group on a course that’s skeptical of vaccines. The new appointments come as Kennedy is remaking the committee and a working group within ACIP is reviewing the vaccines recommended for women during pregnancy. Read more from STAT’s Daniel Payne and Lizzy Lawrence about the two new committee members. (Hint: In July, one of them was a speaker on a largely skeptical FDA panel about antidepressant use during pregnancy.) We also learned yesterday that the HHS has dismissed at least one member of a committee that advises the federal government on its vaccine injury compensation program. The move could signal that, like ACIP before it, the federal apparatus is in for further changes. Read more from STAT’s Chelsea Cirruzzo. Kennedy adds two OB-GYNs to vaccine advisory panel amid review of shots for pregnant women Both new members have questioned the safety of vaccines, especially during pregnancy https://www.statnews.com/2026/01/13/new-acip-members-adam-urato-kimberly-biss-review-vaccines-during-pregnancy/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9YB12TRqP2A53hJQTWeD0YmVHkWvrcACIrRZHzjOyDNxA0QXkZnT9Qt-DxtwqFP6lh6JEx5Le4T_Eit9Scq2kuy1q97Q&_hsmi=398410217&utm_content=398410217&utm_source=hs_email By Daniel Payne and Lizzy LawrenceJan. 13, 2026