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RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisors signal big changes to come

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted on the flu vaccine, raising concerns about a rarely used preservative. Medical groups worry this will "sow distrust" in vaccines.
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The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted on the flu vaccine, raising concerns about a rarely used preservative. Medical groups worry this will "sow distrust" in vaccines.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Policy, an influential CDC committee that shapes U.S. vaccine policy, has become a flashpoint in recent weeks. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members and replaced them with 7 new members — many of whom do not have deep expertise in vaccines, and some of whom have spread vaccine misinformation. NPR public health correspondent Pien Huang was at the new working group's first meeting last week. This episode, she talks with Emily about the sweeping changes they promised to how vaccine policy is made in the U.S. — and resurrected issues that have been advanced by groups that question vaccines.

Read more of Pien's reporting on this topic.


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This episode was produced by Hannah Chinn, and edited by Scott Hensley and Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones and Rebecca Ramirez checked the facts. The audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.

Copyright 2025 NPR

Pien Huang is a health reporter on the Science desk. She was NPR's first Reflect America Fellow, working with shows, desks and podcasts to bring more diverse voices to air and online.
Hannah Chinn
Hannah Chinn (they/them) is a producer on NPR's science podcast Short Wave. Prior to joining Short Wave, they produced Good Luck Media's inaugural "climate thriller" podcast. Before that, they worked on Spotify & Gimlet Media shows such as Conviction, How to Save a Planet and Reply All. Previous pit stops also include WHYY, as well as Willamette Week and The Philadelphia Inquirer. In between, they've worked a number of non-journalism gigs at various vintage stores, coffee shops and haunted houses.
Emily Kwong (she/her) is the reporter for NPR's daily science podcast, Short Wave. The podcast explores new discoveries, everyday mysteries and the science behind the headlines — all in about 10 minutes, Monday through Friday.
Rebecca Ramirez (she/her) is the founding producer of NPR's daily science podcast, Short Wave. It's a meditation in how to be a Swiss Army Knife, in that it involves a little of everything — background research, finding and booking sources, interviewing guests, writing, cutting the tape, editing, scoring ... you get the idea.
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