Robert Malone To Step Away From Vaccine Advisory Panel

Malone’s departure follows a federal judge ruling that Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment of vaccine advisory committee members likely violated federal law.

The ruling invalidated all the votes made by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) since the remaking of the panel.

HHS Vaccine Policy Changes Blocked By Federal Judge

Roll Call shared further:

Malone was one of several picks by Kennedy in a controversial reworking of the entire Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices last year. Malone said Tuesday that he won’t be a part of any attempt to reform the panel after a feud with HHS personnel on whether the court ruling would be appealed.

A federal judge last week blocked the vaccine panel’s controversial changes to the childhood vaccine schedule and called into question the panel’s validity, essentially kneecapping it from any future actions.

Malone posted on social media that the decision wouldn’t be appealed, which was contradicted by HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon.

“After Andrew trashing me with the press, I am done with the CDC and ACIP,” Malone said via text message, according to the outlet.

“That was the last straw,” he continued.

“Suffice to say I do not like drama, and have better things to do,” Malone added.

Godspeed @RWMaloneMD 🙏🏼https://t.co/bd4WcTyOL0

— Dr. Lynn Fynn-derella🐭 (@Fynnderella1) March 24, 2026

CNN has more:

Over several social media posts on Thursday, one of the members appointed by Kennedy, Dr. Robert Malone, said that the government will “disband and then recreate a new ACIP committee.” Hours later, Malone posted that information he had shared was a “miscommunication, and in fact the decision about how to proceed has not been made, and dissolving and reforming remains one of options being considered.”

A spokesperson for the Independent Medical Alliance told CNN that ACIP chair Dr. Kirk Milhoan, a former senior fellow with the group, was not available for comment but had also been told by an HHS official that the committee had been disbanded.

Another ACIP member, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told CNN that HHS may intend to repopulate the committee with new members, which may be a faster route than waiting out legal appeals. As part of this week’s decision, the judge also suspended the votes the committee has taken, and there are some pressing issues that may need to be acted on, the person said.

HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said Thursday, “Unless officially announced by us, any assertions about what we are doing next is baseless speculation.”

In his ruling Monday, US District Judge Brian E. Murphy wrote that “of the fifteen members currently on ACIP, even under the most generous reading, only six appear to have any meaningful experience in vaccines,” and he questioned the specific credentials of other members, including Malone.