Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s hand-picked advisory panel declined to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for anyone on Friday — leaving it up to Americans to decide if they want the jab or not.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted unanimously to move away from broad recommendations for the vaccine and instead suggested people make individual decisions, in consultation with their doctor or a healthcare provider, on whether to get the shot.
ACIP declined to recommend prescriptions for COVID-19 vaccinations, in a narrow, 6-6 vote, where the chairman of the panel broke the tie.
The panel also advised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to adopt stronger language about the risks of vaccination.
Many outside medical groups, however, say the COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax have proven to be safe.
Myocarditis, an inflammatory condition of the heart muscle, was discovered in 2021 to be a rare vaccine side effect in mostly young men.
A scientist at the hearing told the panel that he had been researching vaccine-related myocarditis until the Trump administration canceled his grant.
The panel’s decisions are not final until they are approved by CDC Acting Director Jim O’Neill.
“I commend the committee for bringing overdue scientific debate on vaccination to the American people,” O’Neill said in a statement.
The series of votes by ACIP follows the Food and Drug Administration’s decision last month to refine eligibility standards for COVID-19 vaccines, restricting people under 65 without an underlying health condition from receiving the vaccine. --->READ MORE HERE
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s overhauled vaccine panel voted on Thursday to no longer recommend a combination shot protecting against chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella for young children.
In an 8-3 vote, with one member abstaining, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) decided against recommending the MMRV vaccine for children under the age of 4.
The panel, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on which vaccines to recommend to the American public, said children younger than 4 should instead be immunized for varicella (the virus that causes chickenpox) separately from a combined shot for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).
Concerns over the rare risk of fever-induced seizures related to MMRV vaccines were brought up by some members of the panel.
Committee member Dr. Cody Meissner, who voted to continue recommending the MMRV vaccine for young children, described so-called “febrile seizures” as “a very frightening experience” for parents during the ACIP meeting.
In 2009, the panel considered data related to seizure risks and the MMRV vaccine and determined that either a combination shot or separate MMR and chickenpox shots were acceptable for the first dose – but separate doses were preferable.
Information presented during Thursday’s meeting showed that the vast majority of parents (85%) already opt to give their children separate shots for the first dose.
A follow-up vote on whether to extend the new and more restrictive recommendation to the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, which provides low-income families access to shots, led to some confusion. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to relevant/related stories and resources:
CDC vaccine panel votes to change COVID-19 vaccine guidance
CDC vaccine advisory panel makes COVID-19 vaccine a personal matter
USA TODAY: Coronavirus Updates
WSJ: Coronavirus Live Updates
YAHOO NEWS: Coronavirus Live Updates
NEW YORK POST: Coronavirus The Latest
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