Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the appointment of two obstetrician-gynecologists to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The additions follow Kennedy’s June decision to replace all existing members of the vaccine panel, which he stated was necessary to restore public trust and reduce conflicts of interest.
The new appointments include Adam Urato, M.D., an obstetrician and gynecologist specializing in maternal-fetal medicine with academic affiliations at Harvard Medical School, the University of South Florida, and Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Urato has held clinical roles at institutions including MetroWest Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Kimberly Biss, M.D., a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist in St. Petersburg, Florida, previously served as chief of staff and chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Bayfront Health/Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital.
Children’s Health Defense described the appointments as “the first time in years, pregnancy, maternal safety, and real clinical experience are being centered in vaccine policy decisions,” emphasizing transparency in vaccine guidance. Jim O’Neill, HHS deputy secretary and acting CDC director, stated the changes align with President Trump’s directive to base childhood immunization schedules on “gold-standard science.”
Dr. Biss has publicly criticized CDC vaccine policies, including testimony before a GOP-led House subcommittee in 2023 where she claimed some patients experienced severe menstrual irregularities requiring surgeries or hysterectomies after receiving COVID-19 vaccines. She also reported rising miscarriage rates at her practice from 2020 to 2022 and suggested vaccines might contribute to early menopause. Pediatrician Paul Offit, a former ACIP member, condemned Dr. Biss’s assertions as inaccurate, noting she falsely claimed only three children per one million die annually from COVID-19—a figure that was actually ten per one million at the time—while dismissing vaccine benefits in reducing illness severity and hospitalization risks.
Dr. Urato has similarly questioned vaccine safety during pregnancy for conditions such as flu, RSV, and COVID-19, as well as the use of antidepressants among pregnant women. He recently petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to add warnings about serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) causing fetal complications and altered brain development. The reconstituted ACIP panel has since revised longstanding recommendations, including reducing the number of routine childhood immunizations for all children.
Kennedy asserted that Dr. Urato and Dr. Biss bring “the scientific credentials, clinical experience, and integrity this committee requires” to address vaccine safety concerns. Critics, however, warn such appointments risk undermining public confidence in vaccines through unsubstantiated claims about risks during pregnancy.
