**Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made significant changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) vaccine advisory panel, sparking controversy and a federal judge's intervention.** In June, Kennedy fired all 17 independent experts who made up the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a panel that sets federal vaccination guidance influencing insurance coverage and state school requirements. The panel was then repopulated with mostly unqualified allies who share Kennedy's anti-vaccine views. The revised ACIP held several chaotic meetings, voting to change vaccine policies without scientific backing to align with Kennedy's agenda. This move led to a federal judge's temporary block on Kennedy's installed ACIP members and the anti-vaccine changes they made to CDC guidance. However, the ACIP controversy is not an isolated incident. According to a report by the government watchdog *Public Citizen*, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has terminated 75 federal advisory committees under Kennedy's leadership. This represents approximately **27%** of the 273 panels of independent experts HHS relies on to shape scientific agendas, regulations, and policies. The majority of these terminated committees were at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with **49** advisory committees cut, most of which were responsible for evaluating scientific grant applications. A recent analysis by Johns Hopkins researchers found that, as of March 3, the NIH has awarded **74%** fewer competitive or new awards than the average for the same period in the 2021-2024 fiscal years, according to a report by *Stat News*. This significant decrease in funding suggests a potential impact on the NIH's ability to support scientific research and innovation. The full extent of the consequences of Kennedy's actions on the HHS advisory committees and the NIH's research agenda remains to be seen.