RFK Jr. will appoint eight new members to the Vaccine Committee
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced eight new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Independent Vaccine Advisory Committee.
No Brands – News Value
The world was first seen the internal mechanisms of a new vaccine panel appointed by Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy, and their immediate focus, childhood vaccines.
Eight new members of the Advisory Committee on Vaccination Practices first met on June 25th, with ACIP Chair Martin Kulldorf at the top of the meeting to announce how the panel plans to reconsider its childhood vaccination schedule.
“The number of vaccines our children and adolescents receive today exceeds what children in most other developed countries receive, and what most of us in this room received when we were kids,” he said. “It is important to assess the cumulative effectiveness of the recommended vaccine schedule, in addition to researching and assessing individual vaccines.”
Kulldorff added that the committee will establish a workgroup to investigate vaccines that protect against measles, mumps, rubella and hepatitis B.
Kennedy fired all 17 former members of the committee on June 9th, and appointed a new member a few days later, including vaccine skeptics.
Their recommendations have broad implications, guide school vaccine requirements and impact government programs that provide free vaccinations to about half of American children.
Many experts are concerned that the panel’s actions will raise questions about vaccines that are deemed safe and effective.
“Chalking questions about traditional pediatric vaccines that saved millions of lives will be irresponsible and life-threatening, especially one of the worst measles outbreaks we’ve had in years,” said Dr. Gretchen LaSalle, a family doctor in Spokane, Washington, who represents family doctors at ACIP Workgroup.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Panel also reviewed data on the Covid-19 vaccine, promptly questioning its safety and efficacy. They also raised questions about the research design, methodology, and the surveillance system behind the data. This was addressed as the standard for medical research by Dr. Pamela Rockwell, a clinical professor of family medicine at the University of Michigan School of Medicine.
“Through a very robust system of checks and balance, our efforts are to create vaccines and vaccination programs that will benefit most with the least harm,” said Lasalle, AAFP.
The committee will not vote on the recommendation of the fall Covid-19 vaccine and are not expected to be reunited until “September/October,” according to the CDC website.
“Stakes are simply too expensive”: Criticism and controversy
Public comments during the meeting were a mixture of criticism and concerns from various perspectives about the potential harm.
Nurses, pediatricians, public health experts and mothers flooded the public comment section of the conference to criticize Kennedy’s decision to fire 17 former ACIP members and advocate for the protective benefits of the vaccine.
“The Big Cities Health Coalition is deeply concerned that if ACIP makes changes based on ideology rather than science, many everyday vaccines could quickly become inaccessible or uncontrollable for millions of Americans.” “The interests are simply too high to make it happen.”
Others criticized the vaccine mandate and limitations on medical exemptions.
“With many new members being introduced, ACIP must act to prevent ongoing harm,” said Kim Mack Rosenberg, Children’s Health Defense Advisor, an anti-vaccine group founded by Kennedy.
The respiratory syncytial virus (a planned vote for new shots of RSV) was postponed due to time constraints.
The ACIP conference took place despite national protests from health experts, officials and organizations calling for delays.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and doctor, urged the panel to wait until “were staffed entirely in more robust and balanced terms, including people with more directly related experiences, as required by the law.”
“Although ACIP appointees are scientifically qualified, many have no significant experience studying microbiology, epidemiology or immunology,” Cassidy, chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said in a social media post. “In particular, some people may have no experience studying new technologies such as mRNA vaccines, and they may have preconceived notions about them.”
Contributor: Ken Alltucker, USA Today.
Adrianna Rodriguez can visit adrodriguez@usatoday.com.
