Committee appointed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. alters advice on essential childhood vaccinations

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has voted to alter its recommendation on an early childhood vaccine. The committee, which has been reshuffled with some members being replaced, will no longer recommend a single-shot vaccine for mumps, measles, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox) for children under 4.

Instead, children ages 12 to 15 months will receive two separate shots at the same time: one for mumps, measles, and rubella, and one for varicella. The medical reason for altering the Hepatitis B schedule was less clear.

The problem with splitting vaccines into multiple shots is that it typically leads to lower vaccine compliance. However, the risks of not vaccinating are real. Falling below a 95% coverage rate for herd immunity could lead to devastating consequences such as pregnant women losing their babies, newborns dying, and congenital rubella syndromes.

The committee will also vote Friday on proposed changes to childhood Hepatitis B and COVID-19 vaccines. The debate surrounding the Hepatitis B vaccine has focused on whether to delay the first dose until the child is 1 month old.

The alteration in the vaccine schedule has caused concern among doctors, who fear that the lack of expertise and vaccine skepticism on display during the discussion could further dilute public trust in science and public health guidance.

Notably, the ACIP has welcomed new members such as Vicky Pebsworth, a nurse and research director for the National Vaccine Information Center, and Dr. Robert Malone, a vaccinologist who has made false and discredited assertions about flu and COVID-19 shots.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, who chairs the Senate committee that oversees the Department of Health and Human Services, has expressed scepticism about the changes the ACIP recommends to the childhood immunization schedule. He stated that the U.S. public should not trust any changes the ACIP recommends.

California, which has been given the power to establish its own immunization schedule, has partnered with Oregon and Washington to issue joint recommendations for COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines. The state broke from the CDC with new vaccine guidance.

Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics has announced that it will publish its own evidence-based vaccination schedule that differs from the CDC's on flu and COVID shots. This move comes after the AAP was told it was no longer invited to review scientific evidence and advise the committee in advance of the meeting in August.

An association representing many U.S. health insurers has announced that its members will continue to cover all vaccines recommended by the previous ACIP through the end of 2026. However, it's unclear what will be covered after 2026.

The current head of the CDC who took over responsibility for approving the ACIP committee's childhood vaccination recommendations after Susan Monarez's departure is Mandy Cohen. Monarez was fired in part because she refused to sign off on changes to the vaccine schedule without seeing scientific evidence for them.

The committee's decision to alter the vaccine schedule has been criticized by some, with Seth Kalichman, a University of Connecticut psychologist, criticizing the National Vaccine Information Center for spreading vaccine misinformation. Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, has stated that new recommendations to the vaccine schedule are typically written before ACIP meetings in consultation with expert working groups.

Dr. Sean O'Leary, chair of American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Infectious Diseases, said that the meeting was not a good-faith effort to craft immunization policy in the best interest of Americans. He expressed concern that the lack of expertise and vaccine skepticism on display during the discussion would further dilute public trust in science and public health guidance.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was appointed as secretary of Health and Human Services, had his nomination supported by Sen. Bill Cassidy. However, his association with vaccine skepticism has raised concerns among some public health experts.

The ACIP's decision to alter the vaccine schedule comes as the world grapples with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the need for effective vaccination strategies. The committee's actions and the reactions to them will undoubtedly have significant implications for public health in the United States and beyond.

Committee appointed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. alters advice on essential childhood vaccinations