A group of retired Centers for Disease Control employees rallied outside where Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new vaccine advisers were meeting Friday.

"What we're seeing here is when you convert from gold standard science to conspiracy-based decision making, that's bad for the people of America," said Michael Beach, retired Deputy Director of the division that covers seaborne, waterborne and fungal diseases.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices makes recommendations to the CDC director on how already-approved vaccines should be used. CDC directors have almost always accepted those recommendations, which are widely heeded by doctors and guide vaccination programs

On Friday, access to COVID-19 shots was the big question for the committee.

People in many states already report frustration in seeking this fall's updated shots after regulators restricted them to people over 65 and anyone else deemed at higher risk from the virus. Kennedy's handpicked advisory panel will issue recommendations that could introduce further hurdles.

Already as part of the two-day meeting, the panel recommended toddlers get a separate shot for chickenpox rather than combining it with the MMR vaccine.

Among the protesters was Barbara Marston, retired CDC expert in international epidemics.

Marston wore a red polka dot shirt to represent measles. Others wore blow up suits that were meant to represent other diseases talked about at the meeting.

"Well, it's a little silly, and I recognize that. But, I think by by being silly, it's a way to bring some additional attention to this" Marston said. "So just the visual of people dressed as some of the vaccine preventable viruses makes sense."

AP video shot by Mary Conlon