Jan 13 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday announced the appointment of two new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisory committee on vaccinations.
The HHS appointed obstetricians Adam Urato and Kimberly Biss to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the HHS said.
The new appointments come after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reconstituted the panel in June 2025, citing the need to bolster transparency and public trust in vaccines.
Kennedy, a long-time vaccine skeptic, has moved rapidly to rewrite U.S. vaccination policy, including dropping recommendations for COVID-19 shots for pregnant women and children, directing states to limits their vaccine mandates and cutting funding for mRNA-based vaccine research.
Of the new members, Urato is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and has held academic roles at Harvard Medical School and Tufts University.
Biss has served in leadership positions at Bayfront Health in Florida and published research on COVID-19 vaccine safety in pregnancy.
“ACIP serves as Americans’ watchdog for vaccine safety and transparency,” Kennedy said in a statement. “Dr. Urato and Dr. Biss bring the scientific credentials, clinical experience, and integrity this committee requires.”
The ACIP, which includes up to 19 voting members, advises the CDC on who should receive vaccines and recommend the immunization schedule after the shots are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. ACIP recommendations are used by insurance companies as a basis for coverage.
Deputy HHS Secretary and Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill said the committee is working to align childhood immunization schedules with “gold-standard science.”
(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo)
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