Source: Fortune
Summary
A federal judge in Boston has temporarily blocked U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s order to cut the number of vaccines recommended for children. The decision halts changes to the childhood vaccination schedule announced in January, which included ending broad recommendations for flu, rotavirus, and other vaccines. Leading medical groups had voiced alarm at the changes and amended a lawsuit to stop the government from scaling back the vaccination schedule. The judge also found that Kennedy’s reconstitution of the vaccine advisory panel likely violated federal law.
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The move to cut vaccine recommendations sounds like a familiar cost-cutting measure. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s order was met with alarm from medical groups. The judge’s decision puts the changes on hold. The reconstitution of the vaccine advisory panel is also under scrutiny. The government’s vaccination schedule is a delicate balancing act.
Author: Evan Null
Key Players
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Health Secretary
Timeline
January: Kennedy announces changes to childhood vaccination schedule
July: Medical groups amend lawsuit to stop changes
March 16: Judge temporarily blocks changes
Reactions
Leading medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, voiced alarm at the changes
Judge finds Kennedy’s reconstitution of vaccine advisory panel likely violated federal law
