Judge Halts RFK Jr.'s Vaccine Cuts, Restores Full Childhood Schedule

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled Monday that 13 of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 15 appointees to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices lack the medical and scientific qualifications required by Congress. Murphy stayed all appointments and invalidated every vote taken by Kennedy's handpicked committee, citing their failure to meet federal standards for evaluating vaccine risks and benefits. The judge's 42-page decision in American Academy of Pediatrics et al. v. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. et al. found that Kennedy's overhaul of the committee violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act's requirements for scientific expertise.

The court also struck down the CDC's January 2026 memorandum that would have reduced childhood vaccinations from 16 to 10 shots. Two vaccinologists writing in The Lancet in February warned that children "are now on the front line of a scientifically incomprehensible battle against vaccines." Judge Murphy noted that Kennedy himself had acknowledged healthcare providers could lose liability protection under the 1986 Vaccine Injury Act if their recommendations diverged from CDC guidelines. The ruling restores the full vaccine schedule that has protected American children from infectious diseases for decades.

The decision ensures that all previously recommended childhood vaccines remain covered by insurance plans and the federal Vaccines for Children Program. Parents will not face out-of-pocket costs for any of the 16 standard immunizations. The shots also stay in the congressionally-mandated Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, which provides no-fault compensation for rare adverse reactions. Richard Hughes IV, attorney for the plaintiffs, called the ruling "a momentous step toward restoring science-based vaccine policymaking" that would protect children from preventable diseases.

An Annenberg Public Policy Center poll released earlier this month found only 40 percent of Americans trust Kennedy to provide accurate public health information. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which led the lawsuit against Kennedy, enjoys 77 percent public trust according to the same survey. Kennedy had pledged to restore trust in public health agencies when taking office, but his efforts to overhaul vaccine policy have instead triggered legal challenges from medical organizations. The court's decision prevents further changes to vaccine policy until the qualifications of Kennedy's appointees can be properly reviewed.