Trump admin asks court to expedite appeal of lawsuit on vaccine advisory panel members

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Friday he has filed a motion to expedite his department's appeal of a lawsuit that placed members of his Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on hold.

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled earlier this year that the committee was unlawfully reconstituted when Kennedy replaced previous members of ACIP with his own experts last year and that only six of the 15 ACIP members had the required expertise needed for the panel.

Kennedy has since updated the charter for the committee by expanding the list of required expertise for individuals who could serve on that panel. 

"Today we filed a motion asking the First Circuit to expedite our appeal of the district court's order in the [American Academy of Pediatrics] lawsuit that left ACIP—the nation's vaccine advisory committee—without a quorum," Kennedy posted on X. "I've been consistent from day one: I do not want to take vaccines away from anyone. Our policy changes preserved access and coverage."

Kennedy said the court's order and AAP lawsuit have left the panel unable to carry out its duties to issue new recommendations, review new vaccines or complete other work ahead of the flu season in the fall. 

"A functioning ACIP is essential to ensuring that vaccine recommendations remain grounded in evidence and available to the families and providers who rely on them," he said on X. "Families, physicians, insurers, and public health programs deserve certainty—not paralysis.

"That's why we're asking for expedited review," he continued. "Our appeal seeks to restore a functioning ACIP so the vaccine recommendation process can continue, and families, physicians, and public health programs have the guidance they need."

The move also comes after Murphy blocked several HHS vaccine changes, including an overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule and stayed all the votes that the panel has made in the past year.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.