Vaccine advisers on Thursday weighed making changes to the nation's childhood immunization schedule.
ATLANTA — Vaccine advisers on Thursday weighed making changes to the nation's childhood immunization schedule, signaling one of the most consequential policy moves under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
that medical experts have said would expose many more Americans to preventable illnesses.The changes are being considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.The committee will vote on removing recommendations to use the combined measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine in children under age 4 at the close of the meeting. It also is planning to vote on dropping a recommendation that all babies be vaccinated against hepatitis B at birth in favor of a policy of shared decision-making among parents and their physician.Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, fired all 17 members of the committee after President Donald Trump named him as the nation's top health official this year, and created a panel with 12 people, many of whom have advocated against vaccine use. Five of those members were named this week.After reviewing CDC data that showed the risks of febrile seizures under age 4, committee members asked questions about the impact of these health events on families. Dr. Cody Meissner, a pediatrician, said he believes the current recommendation giving parents a choice about whether to give their children separate MMR and varicella shots or a combined vaccine is appropriate.Committee head Kulldorff criticizes former CDC headMartin Kulldorff, who was named as committee chair in June, defended the panel's scientific credibility and criticized agency leadership in opening comments. Kulldorff is a biostatistician and epidemiologist who publicly criticized lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Harvard fired him for refusing to take a COVID-19 vaccine.CDC head Susan Monarez was fired last month after clashing with Kennedy over vaccine policy, saying she was asked to rubber-stamp recommendations. Several senior CDC officials quit, citing concerns that policy decisions were being made without scientific review.Kulldorff said he had never been contacted by Monarez and challenged nine former CDC directors to debate him publicly, dismissing their accusations that the revamped committee was "unqualified" or held "dangerous" views.On Wednesday, Monarez testified to a Senate committee that Kennedy had told her in August that the U.S. vaccine schedule would change in September. The CDC
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