Kennedy last week announced he would “retire” the entire panel that guides U.S. vaccine policy. He also quietly removed Dr. Melinda Wharton — the veteran Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official who coordinated the committee's meetings.

RFK Jr. ousted the entire vaccine advisory panel, prompting backlash from experts who warned his abrupt decisions and controversial appointments could endanger U.S. immunization efforts and increase preventable disease outbreaks.

The health secretary fired all the members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices late on Monday.