Kennedy announces new vaccine advisory committee members after meeting rescheduled

STAT News · Feb 28, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced two new members of his handpicked panel of vaccine advisers on Friday, ahead of a meeting rescheduled for March. Kennedy said in a statement that Sean G. Downing, a primary care doctor licensed in Florida, and Angelina Farella, a pediatrician in Texas, would join the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group that advises the federal government on which vaccines to recommend to the public. The new appointments come during an unstable time for ACIP. The group, whose members were selected by Kennedy after he dismissed its original members, was supposed to meet in February. However, that meeting was rescheduled to March, though the Department of Health and Human Services hasn’t provided a reason. A federal judge is also weighing whether the meeting should take place at all, as part of a lawsuit filed by a major medical group. Meanwhile, HHS has been undergoing a shakeup in recent days in an effort to shift the department’s focus towards politically popular issues like food and drug policy. That shakeup included the exit of Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, who was serving as acting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director. The new acting director, National Institutes for Health Director Jay Bhattacharya praised the new members in a press release on Friday. “These appointments strengthen ACIP with experienced clinicians who understand how immunization guidance matters for patients and families,” he said. According to an HHS press release, Downing is a primary care doctor who works in concierge medicine, meaning his Sarasota clinic is membership-based. According to his website, members of his practice can receive personalized medical care, same-day appointments, and “adult and pediatric vaccination.” Per HHS, Downing completed his residency at Brown University and has worked as a physician for uninsured patients. Farella is a pediatrician and owner of a Texas pediatric clinic, per HHS. She completed her residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Farella appeared on NewsMax in 2021, pushing back against another doctor calling for people to get the Covid-19 shot. “You know how you fight a pandemic, and you know how you fight disease? You treat it,” she responded, before suggesting some drugs, like steroids, as well as vitamins.