U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stepped back from some recent reforms to a CDC vaccine advisory committee.
According to a document reviewed by Reuters, Kennedy's new charter removes earlier requirements for specific expertise like toxicology and data science.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) plays a key role in U.S. vaccine policy.
Kennedy had replaced the panel with vaccine skeptics, but a federal judge blocked his appointments in March.
The revised charter, signed May 14, now requires members to have "a balanced range of scientific, clinical and public health expertise."
White House and HHS officials directed some of the changes to improve legal survival chances.
Critics say the new language seems to acknowledge the judge's injunction.
Kennedy still has authority to name members, but the path remains unclear.
