Health experts in Chicago worried about childhood diseases reemerging due to RFK Jr. dismissing CDC ACIP

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago-area medical experts are reacting after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. purged the entire Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel responsible for recommending vaccines.

Local doctors, especially pediatricians, are concerned about the return of many childhood diseases.

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Pediatricians at Northwestern Children’s Practice have so much confidence in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines the Chicago practice only allows patients who are vaccinated.

“We feel that it is the most important thing we do to keep kids healthy,” said Dr. Scott Goldstein, with Northwestern Children’s Practice.

Goldstein says throughout his career he has trusted the recommendations from the CDC’s 17-member vaccine advisory committee, known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

On Monday, Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, fired the entire panel.

“The very act of getting rid of them and replacing them at all, you’re giving parents less confidence in something that they should have every confidence in,” Goldstein said.

The panel was made up of vaccine experts that included researchers, physicians, pediatricians and nurses.

“It’s the gold standard for vaccine recommendations for the United States and probably for most of the world,” said Dr. Richard Novak, retired University of Illinois Chicago infectious diseases chief.

Novak spent his career working on vaccines. He says the CDC committee was impartial, and only made recommendations based on years of scientific data. Novak says typical vaccines take about 30 years to develop.

“They’re very well-vetted. We have tons and tons of safety data, particularly about the vaccines that we use every day and have used for decades,” Novak said.

For the safety and health of the public, Novak and fired committee members hope Kennedy chooses experts to serve on the new committee.

But, Dr. Noel Brewer, a terminated member, told ABC News he fears Kennedy will not.

“I’ve heard a few names nominated; I assume they will have the same level of vaccine skepticism as the secretary,” Brewer said.

The CDC’s advisory committee is scheduled to meet June 25.

The Department of Health and Human Services says the meeting will go on as planned. It is not known when Kennedy will name new members.