Latest news with #Acip
TimesLIVE
12 hours ago
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Kennedy's new US vaccine panel to discuss measles shot for children
A new panel of US vaccine advisers appointed by health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jnr will vote on flu shots that contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal and discuss recommendations for use of a combination measles shot for children at an upcoming meeting. The advisers to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will also vote on who should receive the shots for respiratory syncytial virus and influenza at the meeting scheduled for June 25 and 26, according to a draft agenda posted on the CDC's website. The agenda comes days after Kennedy named eight members to serve on the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (Acip), including several who have advocated against vaccines, after abruptly firing all 17 members of the independent committee of experts. 'There isn't any doubt that we're in new territory and things are being done differently than they were before,' said William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and an alternate liaison to Acip. Schaffner said it would be a shorter meeting than planned, a more limited number of CDC personnel are scheduled to present at the meeting and a number of presenters have not yet been listed. The new panel will discuss proposed recommendations on the use of the combination measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine for children under five years of age.
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First Post
5 days ago
- Health
- First Post
Kennedy's vaccine shake-up could leave Trump's America pay the price
US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has undone decades of progress in researching and popularising vaccines. Within months, he has ended vaccine research programmes, cut fundings for vaccine outreach efforts, ended vaccine recommendations, and threatened mass-access to affordable vaccines. read more US Secretary of Health Robert F Kennedy Jr promised to make America healthy again, but his actions are laying groundwork for an unhealthy future. With every decision, Kennedy has added to the anti-vaccine sentiment in the United States and made vaccines inaccessible by taking decisions that are not just likely going to increase costs but also affect availability. During his Senate confirmation, Kennedy had said that he supported vaccines, but he has pandered to the anti-vaccine movement that is quite popular among the far-right 'Make America Great Again' movement of US President Donald Trump. He has not just falsely linked vaccines to autism but has also ended the recommendation that pregnant persons and healthy children should get Covid-19 vaccines. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kennedy threatens mass access to vaccines with one move Kennedy has fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Acip) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) and replaced them with handpicked vaccine skeptics who share his views. For decades, Acip has recommended which vaccines Americans should get and when. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), all insurance companies are required to provide all vaccines for free that are recommended by Acip. With vaccine skeptics at the helm, free access to vaccines is no longer assured, meaning that many Americans could see vaccines becomes expensive. 'If we have a system that has been dismantled — one that allowed for open, evidence-based decision-making and that supported transparent and clear dialogue about vaccines — and then we replace it with a process that's driven largely by one person's beliefs, that creates a system that cannot be trusted,' said Helen Chu, one of the ousted Acip member and a professor of infectious disease at the University of Washington School of Medicine, as per The Hill. Once free vaccine mandate from Acip recommendation is no longer there, Covid-19 vaccine could cost up to $150, the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine could cost anywhere between $95 and $280, and the HPV vaccine could cost more than $300. In the coming days, new Acip members are scheduled to hold votes on recommendations for vaccines for Covid-19, meningococcal, HPV, flu, and RSV for adults and maternal and pediatric populations, according to The Hill. Many ways Kennedy is undermining vaccines Kennedy has taken following actions that undermine vaccines: The cancellation of National Institutes of Health (NIH) programmes for the discovery of new vaccines to prevent future pandemics. The end of CDC's advertising campaign for flu vaccines. The cutting of billions of dollars to state health agencies, including for the modernisation of childhood vaccination.
Saudi Gazette
10-06-2025
- Health
- Saudi Gazette
RFK Jr sacks entire US vaccine committee
WASHINGTON — US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine sceptic, has removed all 17 members of a committee that issues official government recommendations on immunizations. Announcing the move in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Kennedy said that conflicts of interest on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Acip) were responsible for undermining trust in vaccinations. Kennedy said he wanted to "ensure the American people receive the safest vaccines possible." Doctors and health experts have criticised Kennedy's longstanding questioning of the safety and efficacy of a number of vaccines, although in his Senate confirmation hearing he said he is "not going to take them away." On Monday he said he was "retiring" all of the Acip panel members. Eight of the 17 panelists were appointed in January 2025, in the last days of President Biden's term. Most of the members are practicing doctors and experts attached to major university medical noted that if he did not remove the committee members, President Trump would not have been able to appoint a majority on the panel until 2028."The committee has been plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine," Kennedy claimed that health authorities and drug companies were responsible for a "crisis of public trust" that some try to explain "by blaming misinformation or antiscience attitudes."In the editorial, Kennedy cited examples from the 1990s and 2000s and alleged that conflicts of interest persist."Most of ACIP's members have received substantial funding from pharmaceutical companies, including those marketing vaccines," he wrote in the Wall Street move appears contrary to assurances Kennedy gave during his confirmation hearings. Bill Cassidy, a Republican Senator from Louisiana who is also a doctor, reported that he received commitments from the health secretary that Acip would be maintained "without changes."On Monday, Cassidy wrote on X: "Of course, now the fear is that the Acip will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion."I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case."Acip members are required to disclose conflicts of interest, which are posted online, and to recuse themselves from voting on decisions where they may have a conflict."The problem isn't necessarily that ACIP members are corrupt," Kennedy wrote. "Most likely aim to serve the public interest as they understand it."The problem is their immersion in a system of industry-aligned incentives and paradigms that enforce a narrow pro-industry orthodoxy."Dr Bruce Scott, president of the American Medical Association, a professional organisation for American doctors, said mass sacking "upends a transparent process that has saved countless lives.""With an ongoing measles outbreak and routine child vaccination rates declining, this move will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses," Dr Scott said in a did not say who he would appoint to replace the board members. Acip has a meeting scheduled starting 25 June, at which members are scheduled to vote on recommendations for vaccines for Covid, flu, meningococcal disease, RSV and other BBC contacted the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Acip chair, Dr Helen Keipp Talbot, for comment. — BBC
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
RFK Jr sacks entire US vaccine committee
US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine sceptic, has removed all 17 members of a committee that issues official government recommendations on immunisations. Announcing the move in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Kennedy said that conflicts of interest on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Acip) were responsible for undermining trust in vaccinations. Kennedy said he wanted to "ensure the American people receive the safest vaccines possible." Doctors and health experts have criticised Kennedy's longstanding questioning of the safety and efficacy of a number of vaccines, although in his Senate confirmation hearing he said he is "not going to take them away." On Monday he said he was "retiring" all of the Acip panel members. Eight of the 17 panellists were appointed in January 2025, in the last days of President Biden's term. Most of the members are practicing doctors and experts attached to major university medical centres. Kennedy noted that if he did not remove the committee members, President Trump would not have been able to appoint a majority on the panel until 2028. "The committee has been plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine," Kennedy wrote. He claimed that health authorities and drug companies were responsible for a "crisis of public trust" that some try to explain "by blaming misinformation or antiscience attitudes." In the editorial, Kennedy cited examples from the 1990s and 2000s and alleged that conflicts of interest persist. "Most of ACIP's members have received substantial funding from pharmaceutical companies, including those marketing vaccines," he wrote in the Wall Street Journal. The move appears contrary to assurances Kennedy gave during his confirmation hearings. Bill Cassidy, a Republican Senator from Louisiana who is also a doctor, reported that he received commitments from the health secretary that Acip would be maintained "without changes." On Monday, Cassidy wrote on X: "Of course, now the fear is that the Acip will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion. "I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case." Acip members are required to disclose conflicts of interest, which are posted online, and to recuse themselves from voting on decisions where they may have a conflict. "The problem isn't necessarily that ACIP members are corrupt," Kennedy wrote. "Most likely aim to serve the public interest as they understand it. "The problem is their immersion in a system of industry-aligned incentives and paradigms that enforce a narrow pro-industry orthodoxy." Dr Bruce Scott, president of the American Medical Association, a professional organisation for American doctors, said mass sacking "upends a transparent process that has saved countless lives." "With an ongoing measles outbreak and routine child vaccination rates declining, this move will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses," Dr Scott said in a statement. Kennedy did not say who he would appoint to replace the board members. Acip has a meeting scheduled starting 25 June, at which members are scheduled to vote on recommendations for vaccines for Covid, flu, meningococcal disease, RSV and other illnesses. The BBC contacted the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Acip chair, Dr Helen Keipp Talbot, for comment. Fact-checking RFK Jr's views on health policy The two faces of Robert F Kennedy Jr
BBC News
09-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
RFK Jr fires entire US vaccine committee
US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine sceptic, has removed all 17 members of a committee that issues official government recommendations on the move in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, Kennedy said that conflicts of interest on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Acip) were responsible for undermining trust in said he wanted to "ensure the American people receive the safest vaccines possible."Doctors and health experts have criticised Kennedy's longstanding questioning of the safety and efficacy of a number of vaccines, although in his Senate confirmation hearing he said he is "not going to take them away." On Monday he said he was "retiring" all of the Acip panel members. Eight of the 17 panellists were appointed in January 2025, in the last days of President Biden's of the members are practicing doctors and experts attached to major university medical noted that if he did not remove the committee members, President Trump would not have been able to appoint a majority on the panel until 2028."The committee has been plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine," Kennedy claimed that health authorities and drug companies were responsible for a "crisis of public trust" that some try to explain "by blaming misinformation or antiscience attitudes."In the editorial, Kennedy cited examples from the 1990s and 2000s and alleged that conflicts of interest persist."Most of ACIP's members have received substantial funding from pharmaceutical companies, including those marketing vaccines," he wrote in the Wall Street move appears contrary to assurances Kennedy gave during his confirmation hearings. Bill Cassidy, a Republican Senator from Louisiana who is also a doctor, reported that he received commitments from the health secretary that Acip would be maintained "without changes."On Monday, Cassidy wrote on X: "Of course, now the fear is that the Acip will be filled up with people who know nothing about vaccines except suspicion. "I've just spoken with Secretary Kennedy, and I'll continue to talk with him to ensure this is not the case."Acip members are required to disclose conflicts of interest, which are posted online, and to recuse themselves from voting on decisions where they may have a conflict."The problem isn't necessarily that ACIP members are corrupt," Kennedy wrote. "Most likely aim to serve the public interest as they understand it."The problem is their immersion in a system of industry-aligned incentives and paradigms that enforce a narrow pro-industry orthodoxy."Dr Bruce Scott, president of the American Medical Association, a professional organisation for American doctors, said mass sacking "upends a transparent process that has saved countless lives.""With an ongoing measles outbreak and routine child vaccination rates declining, this move will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses," Dr Scott said in a did not say who he would appoint to replace the board members. Acip has a meeting scheduled starting 25 June, at which members are scheduled to vote on recommendations for vaccines for Covid, flu, meningococcal disease, RSV and other BBC contacted the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Acip chair, Dr Helen Keipp Talbot, for comment.
