Defend Public Health Applauds Injunction Against RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Advisors

BOSTON, Mass. – Defend Public Health applauded today’s decision by U.S. District Judge Brian E. Murphy to issue an injunction blocking recent changes to the schedule of recommended vaccines issued recently by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) until he can rule on the merits of a lawsuit brought by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups. 

“Secretary Kennedy's ACIP continues to try and push unscientific and dangerous misinformation about vaccines, the result of his mass firing of qualified members and replacing them with unqualified hacks,” said Defend Public Health Coordinating Committee member and epidemiologist Elizabeth Jacobs, Ph.D. "We're alarmed by a ‘leaked’ report this past weekend that they may seek to do more damage by attempting to confuse a documented medical condition--Long COVID--with what they are claiming without evidence is a ‘vaccine injury.’”

Dorit Reiss, professor of law at UC Law San Francisco, who helped draft DPH’s amicus briefs in the case, commented, "The changes to ACIP's recommendations and the schedule were arbitrary and capricious. They were not explained, did not have a plausible connection between facts and decision, and ignored major issues. This injunction prevents harm to public health and individuals in the U.S., saving lives and reducing the damage Kennedy has been doing."

“Today was important, but this battle against Kennedy’s public health malpractice is far from over,” Jacobs added. “We’re going to keep a close eye on whatever ACIP does next and stand ready to continue to support the plaintiffs any way we can and to call out RFK Jr.’s anti-science nonsense.” 

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Defend Public Health is a volunteer-driven network of public health researchers, healthcare workers, advocates and allies fighting to protect the health of all from the Trump administration's cruel attacks on proven, science-based public health policies. We believe that everyone has the right to what they need for a healthy life, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity.
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