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The appointments of at least two of the experts are likely to draw an uproar from public health leaders for their criticism of federal scientists and the Biden administration’s Covid vaccine policies.
June 11, 2025Updated 8:20 p.m. ET
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday named eight doctors and researchers, including two prominent critics of federal scientists and the Biden administration’s Covid vaccine policies, to replace roughly half the members he fired from an expert panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mr. Kennedy made the announcement Wednesday on the social media platform X, two days after he fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
“The slate includes highly credentialed scientists, leading public-health experts, and some of America’s most accomplished physicians,” he wrote. In a post on X late Tuesday night, Mr. Kennedy promised he would not appoint “ideological anti-vaxxers.”
But the appointments of at least two of the new members — Martin Kulldorff and Dr. Robert Malone — are likely to draw an uproar from public health leaders. Both were highly critical of President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s coronavirus vaccine policies during the pandemic.
Dr. Kulldorff, a Swedish biostatistician and former Harvard professor who in the past advised the C.D.C. on vaccine safety, opposed vaccine mandates. He came to prominence in 2020 as a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, a document that opposed lockdowns and drew intense backlash from Dr. Anthony S. Fauci and other public health leaders, who branded it dangerous.
Dr. Malone, who played an early role in mRNA research and has claimed to be the inventor of the technology, became a right-wing star after a 2021 appearance on “The Joe Rogan Experience” that exposed both him and Mr. Rogan to criticism that they had spread misinformation.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg covers health policy for The Times from Washington. A former congressional and White House correspondent, she focuses on the intersection of health policy and politics.
