Medical Groups Sue RFK Jr. Over Vaccine Policy Changes

The coalition—comprising the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physicians, the American Public Health Association, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Massachusetts Public Health Association, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine—contends the directive is both baseless and uninformed. The plaintiffs claim the move is part of a broader agenda to dismantle evidence-based infrastructure that has historically protected public health, noting that Kennedy failed to cite professional staff recommendations to justify the restriction.

Legal filings characterize the policy as arbitrary and capricious, pointing to internal contradictions such as Kennedy’s own congressional testimony where he disclaimed his own medical advice, as well as a recent FDA report identifying pregnancy as a high-risk factor for severe Covid-19. The groups are seeking a court injunction under the Administrative Procedures Act to restore the vaccine recommendations for children aged six months to 17 years. This challenge arrives as the United States grapples with a resurgence of preventable illnesses, including 1,277 confirmed measles cases this year, the highest level in over three decades.