Key facts
- A federal appeals court will hear arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit against Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine policy changes.
- A federal judge previously blocked key aspects of Kennedy's vaccine agenda, ruling he unlawfully circumvented federal procedure.
- The lawsuit, filed by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups, argued Kennedy overstepped his authority.
- The ruling prevents the government from slashing the number of vaccines recommended for children.
- The judge also halted the latest iteration of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and its recent votes.
- The government intends to appeal the judge's injunctions.
A federal appeals court is set to hear arguments on Tuesday regarding a lawsuit filed by medical groups against Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s efforts to alter the nation's childhood vaccine schedule. The legal challenge argues that Kennedy unlawfully circumvented federal procedures in his attempts to change vaccine recommendations and reform an influential vaccine advisory committee.
Earlier, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy issued a preliminary injunction blocking several key aspects of Kennedy's vaccine agenda. Murphy ruled that Kennedy and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had violated federal law, specifically the Federal Advisory Committee Act, in their efforts to reform the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and its policy recommendations. The judge's decision prevented the government from reducing the number of recommended childhood vaccines and halted recent votes by Kennedy's appointed ACIP members.
The lawsuit, originally filed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical groups, contended that Kennedy overstepped his legal authority. The plaintiffs amended their complaint as Kennedy continued to implement changes. The ruling is seen as a significant setback for Kennedy's agenda, which critics argue has sown confusion and distrust in public health agencies.