According to NPR, the Department of Health and Human Services is removing all 17 members of a key Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory group, including those on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the sweeping change, stating that new committee members will be appointed to restore public confidence in vaccine science and ensure a focus on public health and evidence-based medicine.

“A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,” Kennedy said in a statement. “ACIP’s new members will prioritize public health and evidence-based medicine. The committee will no longer function as a rubber stamp for industry profit-taking agendas.”

The move has drawn sharp criticism from the American Medical Association, which argues that the decision undermines public trust and disrupts a long-standing, transparent process that has helped save countless lives.