RFK Jr. faces new vaccine scrutiny as Democrats hone their mid-term agenda

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WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats have launched an investigation into the Trump administration’s review of federal vaccine policy and are asking the agency to turn over records by next week.

In a letter to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seen by STAT, Democrats Ron Wyden of Oregon and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire on the Senate Finance Committee criticized changes Kennedy made to federal vaccine policy, focusing on the reshaping of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Last year, President Kennedy fired all former members of ACIP and packed the panel with vaccine-skeptical allies.

Democrats said they wanted to “assess the legality, decision-making process, and public health impact” of the commission’s review, requesting documents including a record of messages showing who made and approved the ACIP review decisions, the risks considered before making changes, and the commission’s vetting process for new members.

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