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Health Groups Sue HHS to Reverse RFK Jr.'s COVID-19 Vaccine Policy
Healthcare Innovations ^ | July 7, 2025 | Mark Hagland

Posted on 07/09/2025 5:52:48 PM PDT by DoodleBob

A coalition of highly influential medical and public health associations has sued the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and its component agencies the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), over HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s policy announcement in late May that the CDC was removing COVID-19 vaccination from its vaccine schedule, citing the threat to public health. Specifically, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Physicians (ACP), American Public Health Association (APHA), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), Massachusetts Public Health Alliance (MPHA), Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), and a pregnant physician, have sued those agencies, naming HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CDC Director Matthew Buzzelli, FDA Administrator Marty Makary, and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, in the lawsuit, in their official capacities. The coalition filed suit on Monday, July 7 in Boston against those agencies and officials, demanding a reversal of the new policy, contending that, “Unless the Secretary's baseless and uninformed policy decision is vacated, pregnant women, their unborn children, and, in fact, all children remain at grave and immediate risk of contracting a preventable disease.”

A press release posted to the Infectious Disease Society of America’s website said that the lawsuit was intended “to put an end to the Secretary’s assault on science, public health, and evidence-based medicine.”

As the press release noted, “Plaintiffs in the case are suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Secretary Kennedy for acting arbitrarily and capriciously when he unilaterally changed Covid-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant people. Secretary Kennedy has also unjustly dismissed 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and appointed replacements who have historically espoused anti-vaccine viewpoints. This committee has proceeded to undermine the science behind vaccine recommendations. The lawsuit asks for preliminary and permanent injunctions to enjoin Secretary Kennedy’s rescissions of Covid vaccine recommendations and a declaratory judgment pronouncing the change in recommendations as unlawful.”

And it quoted Richard H. Hughes IV, a partner at Epstein Becker Green and lead counsel, as stating that “This administration is an existential threat to vaccination in America, and those in charge are only just getting started. If left unchecked, Secretary Kennedy will accomplish his goal of ridding the United States of vaccines, which would unleash a wave of preventable harm on our nation’s children. The professional associations for pediatricians, internal medicine physicians, infectious disease physicians, high-risk pregnancy physicians, and public health professionals will not stand idly by as our system of prevention is dismantled. This ends now.”

The press release went on to state that “The lawsuit charges that a coordinated set of actions by HHS and Secretary Kennedy were designed to mislead, confuse, and gradually desensitize the public to anti-vaccine and anti-science rhetoric, and that he has routinely flouted federal procedural rules. These actions include blocking CDC communications, unexplained cancellations of vaccine panel meetings at the FDA and CDC, announcing studies to investigate non-existent links between vaccines and autism, unilaterally overriding immunization recommendations, and replacing the diverse members of ACIP with a slate of individuals biased against sound vaccine facts. The anonymous individual plaintiff in the lawsuit is a pregnant woman who is at immediate risk for being unable to get the Covid-19 vaccine booster because of the Secretarial Directive, despite her high risk for exposure to infectious diseases from working as a physician at a hospital. The plaintiff organizations urge parents and patients to follow their qualified medical professionals' vaccine guidance. AAP, ACP, APHA, IDSA, and SMFM websites provide evidence-based resources to help patients make decisions grounded in facts, not fear,” the press release said.

The full text of the lawsuit can be found here.

And the press release shared quotes from the senior leaders of the plaintiff organizations, as follows:

Susan J. Kressly, M.D., FAAP, President, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):

“The American Academy of Pediatrics is alarmed by recent decisions by HHS to alter the routine childhood immunization schedule. These decisions are founded in fear and not evidence, and will make our children and communities more vulnerable to infectious diseases like measles, whooping cough, and influenza. Our immunization system has long been a cornerstone of U.S. public health, but actions by the current administration are jeopardizing its success. As we pursue action to restore science to U.S. vaccination policy, AAP will continue to provide the science-based, trusted recommendations that every American deserves.”

Jason M. Goldman, MD, MACP, President, American College of Physicians (ACP):

“The American College of Physicians is highly concerned about the administration’s recent actions regarding ACIP and the negative impact it will have on our patients and our physician practices. Destabilizing a trusted source and its evidence-based process for helping guide decision-making for vaccines to protect the public health in our country erodes public confidence in our government’s ability to ensure the health of the American public and contributes to confusion and uncertainty. As physicians, we require reliable, science-based guidance that is based on the best available evidence, developed through an evidence-based and transparent process, to ensure the safety, welfare, and lives of our patients.”

Georges C. Benjamin, MD, Executive Director, American Public Health Association (APHA):

“The entire health sector — including federal, state, and local health regulatory authorities, insurance companies, and private or public entities like employers and educational systems — relies upon transparent and evidence-based vaccine guidance from the federal government. When based on evaluation of the most up-to-date science by qualified experts, this guidance provides a roadmap to the use of vaccines to save lives and strengthen communities’ ability to thrive and achieve optimal health. When disproven theories become a driving force in policymaking decisions and alter this ethical process, lives are lost and people suffer needlessly.”

Tina Tan, MD, FIDSA, FPIDS, FAAP, President, Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA):

“The Infectious Diseases Society of America will fight to ensure that all individuals of every age have access to life-saving vaccines. We will not stand by while a single federal official unilaterally and effectively strips Americans of their choice to vaccinate with actions that thoroughly disregard overwhelming scientific evidence and decades of established federal processes. As a community of clinicians, public health officials, and scientists, our focus remains the protection of patients and public health.”

Carlene Pavlos, Executive Director, Massachusetts Public Health Alliance (MPHA):

“MPHA is deeply troubled by Secretary Kennedy’s recent directive, which destroys public confidence in the safety and efficacy of vaccines to the detriment of the public’s health. Vaccines are one of the greatest achievements of biomedical science and public health, preventing enormous suffering and premature death. Decades of strategic vaccination campaigns virtually eliminated diseases previously common in the U.S., and recent COVID-19 vaccinations are estimated to have saved nearly 20 million lives globally.  Secretary Kennedy’s actions are not only dangerous for pregnant women and children, but they also represent a retreat from 60+ years of evidence-based health policy. MPHA is committed to working with public health allies and our members to mitigate the consequences of this dangerous directive in Massachusetts.”

Sindhu K. Srinivas, MD, MSCE, President, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM):

“Secretary Kennedy’s changes to vaccine recommendations have frustrated our members’ ability to effectively counsel patients regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and compromised the standard of care. Every second the Secretary’s dangerous and unsupported decisions regarding the COVID-19 vaccines stay in effect, the Directive is putting up barriers for our members’ high-risk pregnant patients to access the COVID-19 vaccine, which is increasing the risk of serious infection and illness and eroding patient trust in all recommended vaccinations.”


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: covid; vaccines
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1 posted on 07/09/2025 5:52:48 PM PDT by DoodleBob
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To: DoodleBob

How much government funding do these organizations get?


2 posted on 07/09/2025 5:57:10 PM PDT by goodnesswins (Democracy to Demo rats is stealing other peoples money for their use, no matter how idiotic)
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To: DoodleBob

Everyone sue should be quadruple vaxxed.


3 posted on 07/09/2025 5:59:13 PM PDT by maddog55 (The only thing systemic in America is the left's hatred of it!)
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To: DoodleBob

“health groups”.


4 posted on 07/09/2025 6:01:31 PM PDT by HYPOCRACY (Wake up, smell the cat food in your bank account. )
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To: HYPOCRACY
"“health groups”."

It takes plenty of grifting the taxpayer to keep
the thieving health groups in business.

5 posted on 07/09/2025 6:13:38 PM PDT by chief lee runamok ( Le Flâneur @Large)
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To: goodnesswins

I don’t know. But…

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/american-academy-of-pediatrics/totals?id=D000046805 - overwhelmingly donates to Dems

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/american-college-of-physicians/summary?id=D000023937 - evenly split

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/american-public-health-assn/summary?id=D000047006- overwhelmingly donates (very little) to Dems

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/infectious-diseases-society-of-america/summary?id=D000052139 - overwhelmingly donates (very little) to Dems


6 posted on 07/09/2025 6:14:37 PM PDT by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s²)
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To: DoodleBob

Thx


7 posted on 07/09/2025 6:32:22 PM PDT by goodnesswins (Democracy to Demo rats is stealing other peoples money for their use, no matter how idiotic)
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To: DoodleBob

rfk jr deserves all of this for not taking action months ago on the plandemic BS.


8 posted on 07/09/2025 6:41:21 PM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -')
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To: goodnesswins

“ How much government funding do these organizations get?”

All of it.


9 posted on 07/09/2025 6:46:29 PM PDT by Dogbert41 (“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” -Matthew 5:9)
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To: DoodleBob

I am hoping this lawsuit provides an opportunity for some actual factual data to be presented as to the risks of COVID for the groups in question vs the risks of the vaccine for the groups in question. This could be eye-opening, if handled competently, IMO.


10 posted on 07/09/2025 6:52:30 PM PDT by NEMDF
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To: goodnesswins

Wrong question.


11 posted on 07/09/2025 6:55:38 PM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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To: DoodleBob

If I can get my 10th booster, I’ll live forever!


12 posted on 07/09/2025 6:55:46 PM PDT by Mark (DONATE ONCE every 3 months-is that a big deal?)
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To: NEMDF

The Covid “vaccine” isn’t scheduled to be officially done with clinical trials until the fall of 2025, per the letter sent from the CDC to the FDA in 2022.


13 posted on 07/09/2025 7:00:01 PM PDT by Prince of Space (Trump 2024!)
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To: goodnesswins

Lots.

There’s mucho money in sick people.


14 posted on 07/09/2025 7:34:37 PM PDT by jmacusa (Liberals. Too stupid to be idiots.)
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To: logi_cal869

“””rfk jr deserves all of this for not taking action months ago on the plandemic BS.”””

He has been on the job for four months. Are you surprised that he hasn’t accomplished every single goal yet?


15 posted on 07/09/2025 7:42:05 PM PDT by shelterguy
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To: shelterguy

Name any offense by hhs that exceeded the euas which remain in place and I’ll give mea culpa.


16 posted on 07/09/2025 7:46:40 PM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -')
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To: DoodleBob

of course they’re after him.

covid brought them tons of cash... and he’s threatening it.

they don’t care one wit about the people...

beyond being able to make a buck


17 posted on 07/09/2025 8:12:00 PM PDT by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: goodnesswins
You are so right!

Follow the money!

Not only is "How much government funding do these organizations get?" a pertinent question,

How much government funding do these INDIVIDUALS get?

IS A MORE PERTINENT QUESTION!

18 posted on 07/09/2025 8:15:45 PM PDT by Taxman (MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! SUPPORT THE FAIRTAX!)
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To: DoodleBob

For crying out loud.

It’s not like Kennedy banned the use of the vax in those cases.

He simply removed the recommendation for their use with certain groups.

I don’t see that this is an issue that can be sued over.


19 posted on 07/09/2025 8:39:29 PM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus….)
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To: logi_cal869

I don’t know what that means.


20 posted on 07/10/2025 5:04:39 AM PDT by shelterguy
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