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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed a 17-person panel of health experts who advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines, with further plans to replace them with his own picks.Kennedy announced the removal of the Biden-appointed doctors and researchers Monday, removing them due to too many conflicts of interest, although the panel is regularly required to disclose any.Major health groups criticized the move, saying it could set a dangerous precedent by politicizing the committee responsible for setting guidelines and ensuring public trust in vaccines. Kennedy has not said who he would appoint to the panel but mentioned that the new members will meet in just two weeks.Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who was a pivotal vote in confirming Kennedy as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, said he spoke with Kennedy to ensure the panel would not be filled with non-vaccine experts.Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, could face pointed questions about the matter when he testifies before a Senate committee about his agency's budget Tuesday. More than 300 NIH professionals signed an open letter to him and Kennedy, saying the Trump administration's policies are undermining their mission, wasting public resources, and putting American and global health at risk. The letter claims the White House is politicizing research and making arbitrary cuts against the wishes of Congress. The White House responded by stating it is restoring "gold standard" science, not "ideological activism" at the NIH.