Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine ally Robert Malone has abruptly resigned from the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) following a public dispute with HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon. Malone, who was selected by Kennedy for the panel, cited Nixon's critical statement to the media as the final trigger for his departure. The conflict erupted after Malone retracted previous statements about CDC activities.

In his resignation, Malone described the decision as deliberate rather than impulsive, citing hundreds of hours of uncompensated work amid hostile press coverage and internal conflicts. HHS Assistant Secretary Rich Danker and former ACIP Chair Martin Kulldorff defended Nixon's professionalism while expressing sympathy for Malone's decision. Kulldorff, now serving as HHS chief science officer, characterized Nixon as honest in his support of ACIP.

Fellow ACIP member Joseph Hibbeln, also selected by Kennedy, questioned Malone's stated desire to avoid drama given his history of controversial statements about vaccines. The resignation highlights ongoing tensions within federal health advisory panels regarding vaccine policy and public communication. Malone's departure removes a prominent vaccine skeptic from a key CDC advisory role during a critical period for public health policy.