Following a court setback, RFK Jr. has revised the membership criteria for the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The previous requirements mandated expertise in immunization practices and vaccine science, which had been central to the court's findings that Kennedy's appointees were unfit. The new charter shifts focus to geographic balance and broader specialty areas, potentially allowing less qualified individuals to serve.

The changes appear influenced by the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN), an anti-vaccine group led by Kennedy's ally Del Bigtree. ICAN urged Kennedy to revise ACIP's charter and provided a draft that would require at least two members with experience advocating for or treating those allegedly injured by vaccines. Aaron Siri, who worked on Kennedy's presidential campaign and has filed numerous vaccine injury lawsuits, also participated in drafting these changes.

The Department of Health and Human Services maintains these changes are merely routine statutory requirements that don't signal a broader policy shift. However, the revision eliminates specific expertise requirements that were previously deemed essential for ACIP members, raising concerns about scientific integrity in vaccine policy decisions.