CDC Vaccine Policy Recommendations Grind to a Halt Under Health Secretary Kennedy

A year after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. moved to overhaul the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the panel's decision-making has stalled entirely: a federal judge blocked the HHS vaccine-schedule overhaul in March 2026, ruling Kennedy's replacement of committee members did not follow legal procedure, and ACIP has not met since. Proposed downgrades of COVID-19, influenza, hepatitis B and rotavirus vaccines to 'shared clinical decision-making' status remain paused, and federal vaccine schedules have reverted to those in place before the January 2026 memo, leaving providers and states without updated guidance for the 2026-2027 season.