INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
With ardent anti-vaccine activist Robert F
in the country's top health position, use of a long-approved vaccine against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella/chickenpox (MMRV) as
well as flu shots that include the preservative thimerosal will now be reevaluated, putting their future availability and use in question
The development seemingly continues to vindicate health experts' worst fears that, as health secretary, Kennedy would attack and dismantle
the federal government's scientifically rigorous, evidence-based vaccine recommendations.Discussions of the two types of vaccines now appear
on the agenda of a meeting for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP)
scheduled for two days next week (June 25 and 26).On June 9, Kennedy summarily fired all 17 members of ACIP, who were rigorously
geriatrics, infectious diseases, and public health
Two days later, Kennedy installed eight new members, many with dubious qualifications and several known to hold anti-vaccine views.Before
ACIP was upended by Kennedy, the committee planned to meet for three days, from June 25 to 27, to discuss a wide array of vaccines,
including those against anthrax, chikungunya, COVID-19, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Human papillomavirus (HPV), influenza, Lyme disease,
meningococcal disease, pneumococcal disease, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
The committee was going to vote on recommendations for the use of COVID-19 vaccines, the HPV vaccine, influenza vaccines, the meningococcal
vaccine, RSV vaccines for adults, and the RSV vaccine for maternal and pediatric populations.In the new agenda, discussion on vaccines
against CMV, HPV, Lyme disease, meningococcal disease, and pneumococcal disease has been dropped
So have votes for COVID-19 vaccines, HPV, meningococcal vaccines, and RSV vaccines for adults
Instead, the new ACIP will now discuss MMRV and influenza vaccines containing thimerosal
It will only vote on two matters: RSV vaccines for children and pregnant people, and influenza vaccines, including thimerosal-containing flu
