CDC advisers decide to revise guidelines on MMRV vaccinations. A panel of federal vaccine advisers, now mired in controversy under the leadership of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., agreed to change the pediatric immunization schedule.

CDC advisers against MMRV

On Thursday afternoon, the ACIP voted 8-3 to revise the current recommendations that allow children under the age of four to receive the MMRV vaccination, which is a combined shot for measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox (or varicella).

At approximately one year of age, parents can decide whether to vaccinate their infants with a single MMRV vaccine or two shots: one covering varicella and another covering measles, mumps, and rubella. Separating the injections lowers the uncommon risk of febrile seizures, which occur after a high temperature.

The great majority of children in the United States – approximately 85% – receive separate MMR and chickenpox vaccines, while parents can now give their children a single dose that covers all four diseases.

A meeting of advisers appointed by US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to guide US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine recommendations ended abruptly Thursday, with a delayed vote on one vaccine, a vote against a vaccine used for young children, and confusion over access for some children.

CDC on Hepatitis B

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices postponed a planned decision on hepatitis B immunizations for babies until Friday. The highly anticipated vote could alter longtime US vaccine policy, which has reduced illnesses among babies to double digits each year.

Jim O’Neill, the acting director of the CDC and a close ally of Secretary Kennedy, must still approve the panel’s votes in order for its recommendations to be implemented. Changes to the current guidelines for the hepatitis B vaccine were also discussed by the panel, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC on COVID 19

That vote is scheduled for Friday, and a number of members, including chair Martin Kulldorff, have expressed support for the proposal. The panel will vote on recommendations regarding who should be eligible for the most recent COVID-19 immunizations on Friday as well.

The committee also voted against modifying the earlier MMRV recommendation for the Vaccines for Children program, which distributes vaccines to low-income children. This implies that children who receive free vaccines through the federal program will be able to choose between a single combo shot and two separate injections for their first vaccination.

Eight members voted against changing the recommendation for the VFC program. One member voted yes, while three abstained; Meissner explained that he did so because he didn’t know what they were voting on. Several members voiced uncertainty about the significance of their Vaccines for Children votes.