US Politics
RFK Jr.’s hand-selected vaccine panel weakens Covid shot recommendations
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A vaccine advisory board, comprised of anti-vaccine advocates hand-picked by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted in favor of weakening Covid-19 vaccine recommendations on Friday, saying it should be a “individual” decision.
The panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, said those 6 months and older should decide whether or not to get vaccines on a “shared clinical decision-making” basis.
At the same time, the group voted to emphasize the benefits of Covid-19 vaccines for those at risk of severe illness.
Until now, yearly Covid-19 vaccines were recommended and provided to any American 6 months and older to prevent severe illness. The vaccines had been a point of contention for some skeptics due to their potential side effects for a small portion of the population, but studies had shown that the vaccines are largely safe and effective.
But the new recommendations could make it more difficult for adults in some states, which closely adhere to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, to obtain Covid-19 vaccines.
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The recommendations are not final until the Acting CDC Director, Jim O’Neill, approves them. O’Neill took over as acting head of the CDC in August, after Kennedy ousted Susan Monarez.
The committee’s decision to change Covid-19 vaccine recommendations arrived after a contentious two-day meeting where clinicians in attendance raised concerns with the advisory board’s decisions.
On Thursday, the committee voted to restrict access to the MMRV vaccine for children under the age of 4. That vaccine protects young children against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox).
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is a panel within the CDC that provides guidance about vaccine-preventable diseases, such as Covid-19, to the U.S. population
The committee is typically comprised of medical experts who focus on a specific area of vaccine research, safety, efficiency, programming, and more.
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However, in June, Kennedy, an anti-vaccine advocate, fired all 17 members of the committee and replaced them with seven individuals who share his beliefs about vaccines. Some of those individuals had been critical of the Covid-19 vaccine and have been accused of spreading misinformation.
Kennedy announced the appointment of five more members earlier this week.
AHIP, a trade association of health insurance companies that offers employer-provided coverage through Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care, and individual markets, had said it would cover immunizations through 2026 that the vaccine panel recommended as of September 1, 2025.
AHIP provides coverage to more than 200 million Americans.
