After becoming a prominent public face of the CDC’s revamped Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), physician and biochemist Robert Malone, M.D., has reportedly stepped down from his role, citing mounting drama in recent weeks.
Malone’s departure from the ACIP—which has been reported by Roll Call, The New York Times and other outlets—comes less than two weeks after a federal judge in Massachusetts dealt a major blow to the Robert F. Kennedy Jr.-led HHS’ vaccine agenda, invalidating recent changes to the CDC’s pediatric vaccine schedule and blocking multiple ACIP appointments overseen by Kennedy, including Malone’s.
The decision has effectively stonewalled the ACIP from meeting for now, even though it was scheduled to meet earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Malone stoked confusion last week when he posted on social media that the ruling would cause the ACIP to be “disbanded” and reconstituted. He eventually walked back those claims, citing a “miscommunication” several hours after his initial post.
Now, it seems the media's response to the episode—and the HHS’ alleged handling of things—has rankled Malone enough to make him exit.
“After Andrew trashing me with the press, I am done with the CDC and ACIP,” Malone told Roll Call on Tuesday, referring to HHS deputy assistant secretary for media relations Andrew Nixon.
He seemed to specifically take issue with HHS comments to several news outlets that any remarks on ACIP’s future not coming straight from the agency were “baseless speculation.”
“In light of the court ruling and the enormous amount of volunteer time provided by ACIP members to enhance public health, I can sympathize with his decision to step away,” Martin Kulldorff—formerly the chair of Kennedy’s reconstituted ACIP and now HHS chief science officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation—told Roll Call of Malone’s departure.
Meanwhile, Malone told The New York Times that “[i]f offered the opportunity to participate in a relaunched ACIP, I will respectfully decline,” emphasizing that he had not made an “impulsive decision” by leaving.
When reached for comment on the development, the HHS pointed Fierce to Kulldorff’s comments in Roll Call.
Meanwhile, as Malone exits and the current panel’s future remains on pause, the White House has reportedly been seeking to distance itself from touchy vaccine issues ahead of U.S. midterm elections later this year. The dynamic appears to be creating a rift between portions of RFK Jr.’s Make America Health Again movement and the broader Trump administration.
Aside from the controversial gutting of the original sitting ACIP members last summer, the CDC under RFK Jr. notably ditched routine recommendations for six childhood vaccines at the beginning of the year, drawing widespread ire from medical groups.
That recommendation change is among the recent immunization moves that were stayed by a federal judge in Boston earlier this month.