Canadian scientists raise concerns over RFK Jr. firing U.S. vaccine panel

On Monday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he will appoint new members to the scientific group that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about vaccination.

Canadian doctors and scientists say Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s firing of an immunization advisory committee south of the border is worrisome.

On Monday, the U.S. health and human services secretary — a longtime anti-vaccine advocate — said he will appoint new members to the scientific group that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about vaccination.

Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan, said Tuesday that the move will foster more false anti-vaccine beliefs, not only in the U.S. but also in Canada.

“It creates a culture in which anti-vaxx beliefs are more accepted and challenged a lot less. And also it creates an environment where there’s an alternative to an evidence-based recommendation framework,” she said.

Even though Kennedy’s new appointments will make vaccine recommendations specific to the United States, any disinformation could also feed vaccine hesitancy among Canadians, Rasmussen said.

“We have a lot of the same anti-vaxx sentiment up here. Certainly this will at the very least empower (that),” she said.

Rasmussen said current measles outbreaks in both countries show the consequences of disinformation that leads to parents not immunizing their children against preventable diseases.

She said Canada could also experience some fallout if the new committee pulls back vaccination recommendations, because manufacturers may cut back on production and that could lead to shortages.