In a Fox News op-ed, Sen. Rand Paul said he agrees with the stated rationale behind Kennedy's purging of the panel, writing that national health organizations, including the CDC, have become "too cozy with the industries they are supposed to regulate, too resistant to new ideas, and too buried in their own bureaucratic bloat."
Kennedy has charged that members of the vaccine committee had conflicts of interest. Former CDC head Tom Frieden responded on PBS, saying the claim is "simply wrong." Frieden noted one person on the 17-member panel who did have a conflict has recused herself from relevant decisions.
Meanwhile, Kentucky's leading medical authority, Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack has said departures from normal processes in federal health agencies put state and local health officials in a challenging spot.
Speaking before the vaccine panel shakeup, Stack said Kennedy's decision to alter COVID-19 immunization recommendations without going through the established channels is worrying.
"The medical professionals rely on expert bodies to provide guidance," Stack told WUKY last week. "The health care community is going to be in this very difficult position of having to determine where are the credible sources of information and how can we make sure that Kentuckians—and more broadly the American people—are properly informed about where they can get safe, credible, medical guidance apart from their their personal health care provider."
Stack has said, going forward, the state will continue to issue guidance based on what it considers scientifically sound, fact-based information.