"Some members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel have publicly questioned the safety and manufacturing of the shots, including raising a debunked theory that DNA contaminants in the vaccines are harmful."
"A key federal vaccine advisory panel has abandoned an attack on the covid-19 mRNA vaccines — a shift that comes as some Republicans warn that any more changes to vaccine policy could damage the party in the midterms.
Some of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s handpicked vaccine advisers had been seeking to potentially stop recommending mRNA shots. That plan is no longer moving forward, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations.
In recent months, some members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) have publicly questioned the safety and manufacturing of the shots, including raising a debunked theory that DNA contaminants in the vaccines were harmful.
One option under consideration was a potential vote to withdraw the federal recommendation for covid-19 mRNA vaccines altogether because of those objections, according to multiple people familiar with deliberations who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. Such a change could throw into doubt how long insurers would continue to cover the shots for free and whether pharmacies would continue to carry them."
Lena H. Sun and Rachel Roubein report for the Washington Post March 11, 2026.
