Prof. Richard Painter Quoted in New York Times About New Vaccine Advisors Chosen by Kennedy

Professor Richard Painter, S. Walter Richey Professor of Corporate Law, was quoted by the New York Times about how three of the new advisors appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to guide the government on immunization policy took part in lawsuits casting doubt on the safety or efficacy of vaccines. When he dismissed all 17 members of an influential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel, Kennedy cited what he said was a history of conflicts of interest that he claimed made those experts a “rubber stamp” on approving vaccines. While the legal involvement of the three new panelists does not appear to violate the rules, critics of Kennedy said it created the appearance of a conflict. Prof. Painter said that given their public comments against certain vaccines by two of the three new advisors, they should recuse themselves if those products came up before the committee. He said, “If there is someone who is clearly biased against a particular vaccine for whatever reason, there’s an issue.”