Kris Mayes leads new lawsuit challenging RFK Jr.’s changes to childhood vaccine policies

PHOENIX — The attorneys general of Arizona and California are leading a multistate lawsuit challenging childhood vaccine policies put into place by the Trump administration in January.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said the lawsuit aims to contest decisions by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that she believes are a threat to public health.

“For decades, the CDC’s childhood immunization schedule has been grounded in rigorous scientific evidence and has saved millions of lives,” Mayes said in a Tuesday announcement. “Sec. Kennedy and the Trump administration have thrown that science out the window.”

What exactly is the lawsuit challenging about childhood vaccine policies?

Specifically, the complaint is opposing several actions taken under HHS Sec. RFK Jr.’s leadership, including:

• The removal of 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an expert panel that has guided American vaccine policy for decades.
• The replacement of those ACIP voting members with people who Mayes said lack expertise and qualifications.
• Former Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill’s approval of a memo that downgraded seven childhood vaccines from their long‑standing status as universally recommended.

She also accused RFK Jr. and Trump of prioritizing party ideology over proper childhood vaccine policies.

“They fired qualified experts, replaced them with unqualified ideologues and then concocted a dangerous new vaccine schedule that will put Arizona’s children — and children across the country — at risk of contracting diseases that are preventable,” Mayes added.

What Kris Mayes wants from lawsuit over childhood vaccine policies

Mayes is co-leading the multistate lawsuit with California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

They want a judge to undo Kennedy’s vaccine schedule and committee appointments.

Mayes said the decision to downgrade the seven childhood vaccines from their universally recommended status was based on an “ideological agenda” RFK Jr. has been pushing for years.

“It was done, astonishingly, without notice or public comment,” Mayes said during an online Q&A session. “This isn’t how science is supposed to work. This is not how government is supposed to work and all of it was contrary to law.”

She said the science in favor of recommending children get the vaccines is overwhelming.

“The consequences of this won’t be abstract. Lower vaccination rates mean more outbreaks,” Mayes said. “You are seeing this with the recent outbreaks of measles across the country, including right here in Arizona.”

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