Source: The Hill
A key federal advisory panel handpicked by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr spent two chaotic days debating potentially significant changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccination policy but left the most controversial recommendation for another time.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted on September 18 not to recommend the combined measles, mumps, rubellam and varicella (MMRV) vaccine for any patient under 4 years old, reversing current guidance.
Following a lengthy and at times confusing and contentious discussion, the panel declined to vote on a change to the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns.
The panel unanimously adopted a more restrictive recommendation for COVID-19 shots, though the practical implications aren’t yet clear.
The panel’s recommendations carry enormous importance. Most private insurers are required to cover the shots ACIP recommends, and many state policies on vaccines are tied to the committee’s guidelines.
Read the full article and the five takeaways in The Hill.