Purging the scientists who set vaccine policy
Without removing the current members, the… Trump administration would not have been able to appoint a majority of new members until 2028.
As Secretary of Health and Human Services · June 2025
In one stroke, announced in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, he fired all 17 members of the CDC's vaccine advisory committee and replaced several with figures known for vaccine misinformation. His stated reason, conflicts of interest, was false; an analysis found them at historic lows. He had promised Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, whose vote confirmed him, that he would leave the panel intact.
Sources: Announced in his own WSJ op-ed (AP via PBS) · CNBC