() Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s newly appointed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory panel prepares to meet for the first time behind closed doors Wednesday.

Kennedy abruptly fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices earlier this month.

Critics have called the move a hostile takeover of federal vaccine policy. However, supporters say it’s a long-overdue cleanup targeting scientists with conflicts of interest tied to the pharmaceutical industry.

The panel plays a key role in shaping vaccine guidance, such as whether children must be vaccinated to attend public schools or whether older adults should receive COVID-19 boosters. Changes to that guidance could reshape the national conversation around vaccines.

Kennedy met with pushback on vaccine panel overhaul 

Kennedy’s overhaul drew scrutiny from lawmakers Tuesday during a tense hearing in which lawmakers grilled him on transparency and process.

“What are you afraid of?” asked Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. “You say you want transparency, but there’s been no public process for any of this. Why?”

Kennedy defended his actions, claiming the previous committee included members with ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

“I fired people who had conflicts,” he said.

Pallone was unconvinced. “There is no transparency,” he said.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., has questioned the new appointees’ qualifications.

“Although they have scientific credentials, many lack deep experience in microbiology, epidemiology, or immunology,” Cassidy wrote on social media.

Critics have called the move reckless, while Kennedy’s supporters argue that science thrives on scrutiny and evolving research.