Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. selected eight new members for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee on Wednesday after he dismissed all 17 of the committee’s previous members.

“All of these individuals are committed to evidence-based medicine, gold-standard science, and common sense,” Kennedy said in a post on X. “They have each committed to demanding definitive safety and efficacy data before making any new vaccine recommendations.”

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The new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices members have been met with criticism from experts and the media who claim they don’t have enough vaccine expertise to be on the committee. One critic, Michael Mina, a physician and immunologist who taught at Harvard University, said he had no problem with most of the appointees but voiced concern about two specific members, Robert Malone and Vicki Pebsworth. Mina said they’re “card-carrying vaccine conspirators” in a post on X.

Here’s everything you need to know about Kennedy’s eight new picks for the ACIP:

Joseph R. Hibbeln, MD

Hibbeln is a psychiatrist and nutritional neuroscientist. A California resident, he served as chief of the National Institutes of Health’s Section on Nutritional Sciences for more than a decade, according to his LinkedIn profile. In this role, Hibbeln led research on immune regulation, neurodevelopment, and mental health, Kennedy said in his post.

While he hasn’t explicitly expressed his views on vaccines, including for COVID-19, Hibbeln believes in prioritizing natural health over pharmaceutical intervention, according to a post on X by End Tribalism in Politics.

Martin Kulldorff, MD, PhD

Kulldorff is a biostatistician and epidemiologist. He worked as a scientist at the National Cancer Institute for three years and taught at Harvard Medical School for almost 20 years, nonconsecutively, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

He also served on advisory committees focusing on vaccine safety for the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC, according to Kennedy’s post on X.

Kulldorff co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration, a letter emphasizing the physical and mental health ramifications of COVID-19 lockdown policies. He also publicly opposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates, according to a post on X by End Tribalism in Politics.

Retsef Levi, PhD

Levi is a professor of operations management at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he’s been serving for almost 20 years, according to his LinkedIn profile. A resident of Massachusetts, Levi has also worked with public health agencies to assess the safety of vaccines, according to Kennedy’s post on X.

Levi is outspoken about his opposition to the use of mRNA vaccines.

“The evidence is mounting and indisputable that MRNA vaccines cause serious harm including death, especially among young people,” he said in a 2023 post on X. “We have to stop giving them immediately!”

Robert W. Malone, MD

Malone is a physician and scientist living in Virginia. He served as the chief medical officer for a pharmaceutical company for three years, according to his LinkedIn profile. He’s overseen the development of various clinical trials and also has experience in areas such as gene therapy and bio-defense, among others, according to his resume.

He’s voiced strong opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine in the past.

“You are more likely to become infected, have disease, or even die, if you’ve been vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine compared to the unvaccinated,” Malone said in a video posted on X from the Global Covid Summit.

Cody Meissner, MD

Meissner is a professor of pediatrics at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, according to the school’s website. He advised the FDA and the CDC on vaccines and immunization practices. He’s also contributed to shaping policy and immunization schedules for the American Academy of Pediatrics, according to Kennedy’s post on X.

Meissner supported COVID-19 vaccines for older adults but questioned how beneficial they are for children, voicing concerns about how quickly mRNA shots were implemented in childhood vaccination schedules, according to a post on X by End Tribalism in Politics.

James Pagano, MD

Pagano is a physician who works in emergency medicine. After completing his residency at UCLA, he went on to earn more than 40 years of clinical experience, according to Kennedy’s post. Kennedy described Pagano as a “strong advocate for evidence-based medicine.”

Vicky Pebsworth, OP, PhD, RN

Pebsworth serves as a board member and director of research and patient safety for the National Vaccine Information Center, having worked with the center for almost 20 years on vaccine safety. She also has more than 35 years of experience in healthcare, according to her bio on the center’s website.

Her son, who suffered long-term health complications after being given seven vaccines at his 15-month infant check-up, sparked her interest in vaccine safety. Because of her son’s experience, Pebsworth has pushed for more research on the long-term effects of vaccines and isn’t confident about the use of mRNA vaccines, according to a post on X by End Tribalism in Politics.

Michael A. Ross, MD

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Ross is a physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology and has been practicing for more than 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report. He also serves as a professor of pediatrics at George Washington University and an OB-GYN professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, according to his bio. 

Ross hasn’t been vocal about his stances regarding vaccine policies, including the COVID-19 vaccine, but could influence vaccine policies for pregnant women given his expertise in maternal health, according to a post on X by End Tribalism in Politics.