NEW YORK (AP) — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new vaccine advisory committee meets this week, with votes expected on whether to change recommendations on shots against COVID-19, hepatitis B, and chickenpox.
The exact questions to be voted on Thursday and Friday in Atlanta are unclear. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to questions seeking details to a newly posted agenda.
Public health experts are worried that the votes may raise unwarranted new questions about vaccines in the minds of parents. Perhaps even more consequential would be a vote that restricts a government program from paying for vaccines for low-income families.
Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccines expert, expressed concern by stating, “I’m tightening my seat belt.” The panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, makes recommendations to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the application of already-approved vaccines. CDC directors generally accept these recommendations, which are crucial for guiding vaccination programs across the nation.
Kennedy, who was a prominent antivaccine activist before taking on the health secretary role, terminated the previous 17-member panel earlier this year, replacing it with a committee that includes several voices critical of vaccines.
The upcoming discussion includes three key vaccines:
**COVID-19**: Traditionally, the ACIP would vote in June to reaffirm recommendations for shots against respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. This past June, however, under Kennedy's leadership, the committee voted to recommend flu shots for Americans but remained silent on COVID-19 vaccinations. Critics of Kennedy's previous decisions, including a significant announcement removing COVID-19 shots from CDC recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women, have raised alarms about potential barriers to access for vaccinations.
**Hepatitis B**: This virus, which can lead to severe liver infections, can be transmitted from an infected mother to her baby. There is an established vaccination protocol that has shown remarkable effectiveness in preventing chronic infections in newborns. Yet, amidst discussions in June about revisiting vaccination guidance, concerns have been raised over missed screenings that could lead to further transmissions from mother to child.
**MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella)**: The ACIP's recommendations surrounding the chickenpox vaccine and its combination with other vaccines could come under scrutiny. Historical data indicated some health risks associated with the MMRV, but current evidence does not support significant harms from these vaccines.
Amidst these discussions, pediatricians and public health advocates fear that the renewed focus on vaccine recommendations by Kennedy's committee may foster distrust in vaccinations, complicating the effort to maintain public confidence in immunization programs.
The exact questions to be voted on Thursday and Friday in Atlanta are unclear. Officials at the Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to questions seeking details to a newly posted agenda.
Public health experts are worried that the votes may raise unwarranted new questions about vaccines in the minds of parents. Perhaps even more consequential would be a vote that restricts a government program from paying for vaccines for low-income families.
Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccines expert, expressed concern by stating, “I’m tightening my seat belt.” The panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, makes recommendations to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the application of already-approved vaccines. CDC directors generally accept these recommendations, which are crucial for guiding vaccination programs across the nation.
Kennedy, who was a prominent antivaccine activist before taking on the health secretary role, terminated the previous 17-member panel earlier this year, replacing it with a committee that includes several voices critical of vaccines.
The upcoming discussion includes three key vaccines:
**COVID-19**: Traditionally, the ACIP would vote in June to reaffirm recommendations for shots against respiratory viruses, including COVID-19. This past June, however, under Kennedy's leadership, the committee voted to recommend flu shots for Americans but remained silent on COVID-19 vaccinations. Critics of Kennedy's previous decisions, including a significant announcement removing COVID-19 shots from CDC recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women, have raised alarms about potential barriers to access for vaccinations.
**Hepatitis B**: This virus, which can lead to severe liver infections, can be transmitted from an infected mother to her baby. There is an established vaccination protocol that has shown remarkable effectiveness in preventing chronic infections in newborns. Yet, amidst discussions in June about revisiting vaccination guidance, concerns have been raised over missed screenings that could lead to further transmissions from mother to child.
**MMRV (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Varicella)**: The ACIP's recommendations surrounding the chickenpox vaccine and its combination with other vaccines could come under scrutiny. Historical data indicated some health risks associated with the MMRV, but current evidence does not support significant harms from these vaccines.
Amidst these discussions, pediatricians and public health advocates fear that the renewed focus on vaccine recommendations by Kennedy's committee may foster distrust in vaccinations, complicating the effort to maintain public confidence in immunization programs.
