US regulator dismisses entire vaccine advisory panel

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has removed all 17 members of a key vaccine advisory committee, a move officials say is aimed at rebuilding public trust in the country’s immunization policies.

The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, known as ACIP, will be reconstituted with new members ahead of its next meeting later this month.

Mr Kennedy said the committee had become too closely tied to “industry profit-taking agendas” and needed a “clean sweep” to restore confidence. He said that only “unbiased science - evaluated through a transparent process and insulated from conflicts of interest - guides the recommendations of our health agencies.”