Judge Pauses Kennedy on Vaccine Changes

A federal judge in Boston has tapped the brakes on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s push to rewrite national vaccine policy. US District Judge Brian Murphy on Monday temporarily blocked major elements of the health secretary's plan, siding with the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups. The ruling leaves Kennedy's campaign unsettled while the legal battle is waged, CNBC reports. Murphy also halted Kennedy's move to sweep out all 17 outside experts on the Center for Disease Control's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and install new members.

The plaintiffs argue that regulators broke the law when the CDC in January scaled back its childhood immunization schedule, cutting the number of routinely recommended vaccines to 11 and downgrading guidance for six diseases, including flu, rotavirus, and hepatitis A. They warned the changes could depress vaccination rates and endanger public health. The original suit focused on Kennedy's decision to stop recommending COVID-19 vaccinations for most children and pregnant women, per the AP, and was updated as he took more actions.

Murphy, a Biden appointee, found that the medical groups were likely to succeed on their claims that the administration overstepped its authority. The advisory panel plays a central role in deciding which vaccines are recommended and which shots insurers generally cover. The judge ordered the appointments and all decisions made by the reconstituted panel put on hold. A spokesman said Health and Human Services "looks forward to this judge's decision being overturned."