RFK Jr. Appoints Five New Members to CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee Ahead of Key Meeting

RFK Jr. Names Five New Members to CDC Vaccine Advisory Panel

On September 15, 2025, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed five new members to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a key government panel responsible for reviewing vaccine data and advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on immunization policies.

This personnel change follows Kennedy’s controversial decision in June to overhaul the committee, which has traditionally consisted of independent medical and public health experts relying on rigorous scientific evidence. The new appointments come ahead of a critical ACIP meeting scheduled for September 18–19, where the panel will evaluate vaccines for COVID-19, Hepatitis B, and the combined measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) shot in preparation for the upcoming fall and winter seasons.

Profiles of the New Appointees

• Kirk Milhoan: A pediatric cardiologist at Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Texas, Milhoan holds a Ph.D. focused on myocardial inflammation. He is a senior fellow at the Independent Medical Alliance, known for opposing mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant women and children and advocating for unproven treatments. Milhoan has publicly claimed that COVID-19 vaccines cause cardiovascular toxicity related to the spike protein and argued the vaccines pose more harm than benefit during a 2024 vaccine injury panel convened by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
• Hillary Blackburn: A pharmacist serving as director of medication access and affordability at Ascension, a Catholic health system. She is also the daughter-in-law of Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
• Evelyn Griffin: An obstetrician and gynecologist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Griffin was among the first robotic-assisted gynecologic surgeons in the U.S. and has led initiatives to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. She has publicly opposed Louisiana’s decision to include COVID-19 vaccines in the school immunization schedule and has testified regarding adverse vaccine reactions.
• Raymond Pollak: A transplant surgeon based in Illinois with over 120 peer-reviewed publications. Pollak was a whistleblower in a 1999 lawsuit alleging unnecessary liver transplants at the University of Illinois Hospital. His stance on vaccines is not publicly documented.
• Catherine Stein: An infectious disease epidemiologist at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Stein has published extensively on tuberculosis and infectious diseases. She has been openly critical of the U.S. COVID-19 response and has suggested that health officials inflated COVID-19 death and hospitalization statistics, according to reports from the Ohio Capital Journal.

Concerns from Public Health Experts

Neil Maniar, a public health professor at Northeastern University, expressed concern to CNBC that some new members appear to rely on questionable scientific information or misinterpret data. He highlighted the traditional role of ACIP in basing recommendations on the highest scientific standards and cautioned about the potential implications of the committee’s new direction under Kennedy’s leadership.

ACIP’s recommendations significantly influence vaccine eligibility, coverage by insurers, and public health policy in the United States. The reshaped committee’s approach to COVID-19 and other vaccines will be closely watched during its upcoming meeting.

Looking Ahead

The ACIP meeting later this week will be a critical test of the committee’s new composition and its influence on vaccine policy for the approaching seasons. Coverage will continue as the situation evolves.