A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction halting changes to federal vaccine policies for children ordered by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the chair of a new White House commission. The ruling, issued on Monday, March 17, 2026, blocks the implementation of directives that would have altered long-standing immunization schedules and requirements.
The legal challenge was brought by a coalition of medical associations and public health advocacy groups. They argued that Kennedy's orders, issued through the newly formed Presidential Commission on Vaccine Safety, bypassed established scientific review processes and posed an immediate threat to public health.
In his ruling, the judge found the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their claim that the commission's actions violated the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to follow required notice-and-comment procedures. The injunction will remain in place pending a full trial on the merits of the case.
The White House commission, established by executive order earlier this year, has been a source of significant controversy, with public health experts warning its directives could undermine decades of progress in controlling preventable diseases.
