A federal judge halts RFK Jr.'s changes to children's vaccine policies

A federal judge in Boston has blocked changes to U.S. vaccine policies that were championed by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy ruled that Kennedy had improperly replaced the entire Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory committee, which he argued was an arbitrary and capricious decision that ignored established scientific processes. This ruling was celebrated by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other leading health groups that had filed a lawsuit. The administration plans to appeal the decision, with an HHS spokesman stating they expect the ruling to be overturned. However, the decision has forced the postponement of a planned meeting of the vaccine committee, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The judge found that the government had undermined the integrity of its actions by disregarding long-used methods for developing vaccine policies. The ACIP, whose members Kennedy had replaced with individuals critical of vaccines, had issued contentious recommendations, including vaccinating all newborns against hepatitis B at birth. The judge's ruling halts the appointment of 13 committee members appointed by Kennedy since June 2025. Lawyers for the plaintiffs described the ruling as a significant victory for public health and evidence-based medicine.