Court challenges US vaccine policy changes under RFK Jr.

Prominent medical organizations in the United States asked a federal judge on Friday to prevent the CDC from conducting its upcoming vaccine advisory meeting and to stop the agency from enforcing its newly revised vaccination recommendations.

The legal action initiated by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Public Health Association, together with additional organizations and individuals, occurred as U.S. vaccination policies were experiencing significant modifications under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The attorneys representing the groups informed Judge Brian Murphy, from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, that health officials broke the law by changing vaccination policies in a manner that aligned with Kennedy's goals, potentially affecting public health and reducing immunization rates.

Earlier this year, the CDC proposed significant modifications to the U.S. childhood vaccination schedule, decreasing the number of illnesses that are typically protected against through regular immunizations.vaccines for 11 to 17.

The revised guidelines followed RFK Jr., a prominent anti-vaccine advocate, who suddenly dismissed all 17 members of the CDC's Advisory Committee onImmunization Practices in JuneHe subsequently reformed the panel with his selected members, some of whom had previously criticized mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines and lockdown measures.implemented during the pandemic.

This poses a clear and immediate threat to public health," Bloomberg stated, citing James Oh, an attorney representing the group. "This will negatively impact the work of physicians and the operations and purpose of these organizations that are simply aiming to provide care to the American people.

Oh urged the judge to prevent the ACIP's meeting on February 26-27 from occurring. Isaac Belfer, a lawyer representing the Department of Justice, stated that the groups are "attempting to suppress discussion on vaccine policy" and asserted that HHS has wide authority to modify U.S. vaccine policy.

The court is unable to replace the agency's judgment," Belfer stated. Judge Murphy did not provide a decision right away but recognized that he "needs to decide this case within a very tight schedule.

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