Introduction to Vaccine Advisory Panel Recommendations
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s hand-picked vaccine advisory committee on Thursday recommended the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adopt new restrictions on a combination shot that protects against chickenpox as well as measles, mumps and rubella.
The panel advised that the vaccine known as MMRV not be given before age 4 and that children in this age group instead get separate vaccines — one against MMR and another for varicella, or chickenpox. The vote was 8-3, with one member abstaining.
Vaccine Advisory Committee’s Decision and Its Implications
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices put off an expected vote on hepatitis B shots given to infants on the day they are born. On Friday, it’s expected to decide whether to recommend that some babies can wait a month for those shots, and to also take up COVID-19 shots. The committee makes recommendations to the CDC director on how already-approved vaccines should be used. CDC directors have almost always accepted those recommendations, which are widely heeded by doctors and guide vaccination programs.
Public Health Experts’ Concerns
But many doctors and public health experts say the committee is creating fear and mistrust around vaccines at a time when U.S. vaccination rates are already falling. Kennedy, a leading anti-vaccine activist before becoming the nation’s top health official, has made or proposed numerous changes to the nation’s vaccine system, including firing the entire 17-member panel earlier this year and replacing it with a group that includes several anti-vaccine voices. Thursday’s meeting “promoted false claims and misguided information about vaccines as part of an unprecedented effort to limit access to routine childhood immunizations and sow fear and mistrust in vaccines,” Dr. Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said in a statement.
Panel’s Focus on Rare Seizures
Discussions on the MMRV vaccine focused largely on rare instances of feverish seizures associated with the first dose, given to kids between ages 1 and 2. Committee member Dr. Cody Meissner said such seizures may be “a very frightening experience” for families, but medical experts agree they’re not linked to brain function or school problems. Some doctors and public health experts say they are not aware of any new safety data that would explain the revisiting of those vaccination recommendations — and, in fact, many of the studies discussed Thursday were more than a decade old.
Hepatitis B Shot Discussion
As many as 2.4 million people in U.S. are estimated to have hepatitis B, which can cause serious liver infections, and half are unaware of infection, a CDC presenter told the panel. A hepatitis B vaccine was first licensed in the U.S. in 1981. In 2005, the ACIP recommended a dose within 24 hours of birth for all medically stable infants who weigh at least 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms). Following the 2005 recommendation, hepatitis B cases among infants fell from 5,494 cases per year in 2005 to 2,214 cases in 2023.
Conclusion
The vaccine advisory panel’s recommendations have sparked controversy and concern among public health experts. While the panel aims to reassure the public and remove unnecessary risks and harms, many experts argue that the new restrictions on the MMRV vaccine and the debate over the hepatitis B shot are not supported by scientific evidence and may lead to a decline in vaccination rates.
FAQs
- Q: What is the MMRV vaccine?
A: The MMRV vaccine is a combination shot that protects against chickenpox, measles, mumps, and rubella. - Q: What are the new restrictions on the MMRV vaccine?
A: The vaccine advisory panel recommended that the MMRV vaccine not be given before age 4 and that children in this age group instead get separate vaccines — one against MMR and another for varicella, or chickenpox. - Q: Why are public health experts concerned about the new restrictions?
A: Public health experts are concerned that the new restrictions may lead to a decline in vaccination rates and create fear and mistrust around vaccines. - Q: What is the hepatitis B vaccine?
A: The hepatitis B vaccine is a vaccine that protects against hepatitis B, a serious liver infection. - Q: Why is the hepatitis B vaccine given to infants?
A: The hepatitis B vaccine is given to infants to protect them against hepatitis B, which can be passed from an infected mother to her baby.
