WASHINGTON — Robert Malone, an outspoken medical doctor and ally of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is stepping away from a panel of federal vaccine advisers after a federal judge blocked the panel’s work.
Andrew Nixon, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, directed STAT to Roll Call, which first reported the news, where officials acknowledged Malone’s departure and defended Nixon against disparaging comments by Malone. Malone told STAT he did not want to speak with the publication when reached by phone Tuesday evening. He told CQ Roll Call in a text: “Suffice to say I do not like drama, and have better things to do.”
Malone was appointed to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices last year by Kennedy, who dismissed the previous panel because he said it was influenced by pharmaceutical interests. The group has since played a big role in the Trump administration’s reshaping of vaccine policies, including voting to delay the hepatitis B birth dose given to infants. ACIP, however, was not involved when, earlier this year, Kennedy moved to unilaterally reduce the number of recommended pediatric vaccines.
All of those changes are now on hold, after a federal judge concluded that the panel had acted improperly. Federal judge Brian E. Murphy also restored the initial vaccine schedule. HHS has not said yet whether it has decided to appeal.
In the interim, Malone has made confusing statements about the status of the panel. Late last week, he declared that ACIP had been disbanded before saying his comments were part of a miscommunication. He expressed his anger with the ruling on his X account, calling for Murphy to be impeached and referring to him as a “rogue judge.”
