In a legal battle over vaccine policy, major medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Physicians (ACP), and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), have filed a lawsuit against Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the current Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), alleging that his recent directive removing COVID-19 vaccines from recommended schedules for children and pregnant women is arbitrary, capricious, and unlawful.

The lawsuit, filed on July 7, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, challenges a Secretarial Directive signed by Kennedy on May 19, 2025. The directive removed COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children aged six months to 17 years and pregnant women from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommended immunization schedules.

Kennedy, who previously promised during his Senate confirmation that he would not discourage vaccine use, defended his controversial decision via social media on May 27, asserting it was aimed at restoring public trust. However, this move was immediately criticized by public health experts and the medical community, who argued it would significantly increase the risk of illness and death among vulnerable populations.

In their complaint, the medical groups accuse Kennedy of undermining well-established, scientifically rigorous public health processes by bypassing the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The ACIP has been integral to setting vaccine policy and recommendations in the United States for over 60 years, and its guidelines are closely tied to federal and state health regulations, insurance coverage mandates, and immunization programs.

Plaintiffs argue Kennedy’s actions directly contradict his own sworn testimony before Congress, where he claimed his personal opinions about vaccines were irrelevant. They further assert the directive contravenes a substantial body of scientific evidence affirming the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines for both children and pregnant individuals.

According to the plaintiffs, the directive has already created significant confusion and distrust among healthcare providers and their patients. Physicians nationwide report heightened vaccine hesitancy, disrupted patient relationships, increased logistical barriers, and difficulties in accessing vaccines through established programs such as Vaccines for Children (VFC).

Prominent public health leaders voiced their opposition. Dr. Susan Kressly, President of the AAP, said Kennedy's directive "undermines the trust pediatricians have built over decades" and poses a direct threat to children's health. Similarly, Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association (APHA), described Kennedy’s actions as "reckless" and said they compromise the standard of care provided by physicians across the country.

Additionally, medical providers and clinics expressed concerns that the directive could lead to increased transmission rates of COVID-19, more severe illness cases, hospitalizations, and preventable deaths, particularly among pregnant women and newborns who benefit from maternal vaccination.

The lawsuit seeks immediate judicial relief, requesting the court declare Kennedy’s directive unlawful and require the restoration of COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for pregnant women and healthy children on the CDC immunization schedules. Plaintiffs also seek to permanently block enforcement of the May 19 directive and demand that HHS publicly retract its prior statements supporting the change.