In the US, a key committee stops recommending COVID-19 vaccination for adults

A key advisory committee in the US on vaccination has voted to stop recommending COVID-19 vaccination for all adults, which until now has been officially approved for most Americans annually since the beginning of the pandemic, UNN reports with reference to the BBC.

Details

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) also narrowly voted against promoting COVID-19 vaccine prescriptions.

During two-day meetings, ACIP changed its recommendations for the combined measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine and postponed voting on the hepatitis B vaccine.

US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is skeptical of vaccination, fired all 17 committee members in June and personally appointed their successors, causing a strong reaction in the medical community.

On Friday, ACIP discussed the COVID-19 vaccine, which has been a common recommendation for the past few years, just like the annual flu shot.

ACIP voted against broadly supporting the vaccination recommendation, including for high-risk groups such as people over 65.

Instead, it was decided that the decision could be made independently after consulting with a healthcare professional.

In May, the federal government in the US stopped recommending COVID-19 vaccines for healthy pregnant women and children.

On Thursday, ACIP voted against recommending the combined MMRV vaccine for children under four years of age. But on Friday, they decided to approve two separate shots – the combined measles, mumps, and rubella, and also for chickenpox.

The American Medical Association, which represents doctors and medical students, said the new recommendations for measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination "leave parents confused."

ACIP also postponed voting on whether newborns whose mothers tested negative for hepatitis B during pregnancy should be automatically vaccinated against the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended hepatitis B vaccination for children at birth since 1991.

Since then, the number of cases of this potentially fatal disease has decreased among individuals aged 19 and younger, which, according to experts and the CDC, is associated with the introduction of the hepatitis B vaccine.

Addition

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s position on vaccination has been under scrutiny since he took office in January. During his tenure, Kennedy implemented radical reforms at the CDC. In June, he replaced members of the vaccination advisory group and in late August fired its chair, Susan Monares, which triggered the resignation of a group of senior officials in protest.

On Wednesday, Dr. Monares told the Senate that she was fired for refusing to approve changes in vaccination, "despite scientific evidence." Earlier this month, Kennedy stated that he fired Dr. Monares because, in his opinion, their interaction with her demonstrated her unreliability.

Doctors and public health experts have criticized the Secretary of Health for long questioning the safety and effectiveness of a number of vaccines, although at his confirmation hearing in the Senate he stated that he "does not intend to cancel them."