A federal judge has invalidated vaccine advisory committee appointments made by Robert F Kennedy Jr, ruling they likely violated federal law and staying all votes taken by the committee.

Federal judge Brian E Murphy ruled on Monday that Robert F Kennedy Jr's appointment of 13 controversial vaccine advisers in June likely violated the Federal Advisory Committee Act, invalidating all votes taken by the committee over the past year including decisions to ban thimerosal from flu vaccines, end the MMR-chickenpox combination vaccine recommendation, and end the universal birth dose recommendation for hepatitis B vaccine.