The move comes as the organisation, a vocal critic of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is challenging vaccine policies introduced under his leadership in federal court.
Millions of dollars in federal health grants awarded to the American Academy of Pediatrics have been cancelled by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, affecting programmes linked to child and adolescent health.
The decision was confirmed on Wednesday and includes grants that the AAP said were intended to reduce sudden infant death and improve early detection of autism, the BBC reports.
The move comes as the organisation, a vocal critic of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is challenging vaccine policies introduced under his leadership in federal court.
Kennedy, a longtime critic of vaccines, has accused the AAP of accepting funding from drug and vaccine manufacturers to advance their interests.
"These grants, previously awarded to the American Academy of Pediatrics, were canceled along with a number of other grants to other organizations because they no longer align with the Department's mission or priorities," an HHS spokesperson said.
The funding cuts were first reported by the Washington Post.
AAP chief executive Mark Del Monte said in a statement that seven cancelled grants, three from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and four from the Health Resources and Services Administration, also supported mental health services, adolescent health, rural healthcare access and the prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
"The sudden withdrawal of these funds will directly impact and potentially harm infants, children, youth, and their families in communities across the United States," Del Monte said, adding that the organisation was assessing its options, including possible legal action.
Government records show the AAP received $18.4 million in federal funding from HHS in 2025. Del Monte said the newly cancelled grants were communicated to the organisation earlier this week.
The AAP broke with federal policy in August when it recommended COVID-19 vaccination for all young children, diverging from guidance issued by the CDC. It also criticised Kennedy in June after he dismissed the CDC’s independent panel of vaccine experts.
In October, the organisation said it does not recommend the routine use of leucovorin, a form of vitamin B9, in children with autism, citing insufficient evidence on the treatment’s benefits and risks.
Kennedy promoted the decades-old drug at a White House event in September.