The American health secretary Dismissal of an influential vaccine advice committee This week, uncertainty about the future of national vaccine recommendations.
On Wednesday, secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Announced eight new members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, which makes recommendations that are accepted by doctors, pharmacists, insurers and patients. His nominations include a doctor who previously participated in the committee, a scientist who did that Spread unfounded claims About Covid-19 vaccines and an epidemiologist who denounced Covid-Lockdowns.
Mr. Kennedy’s decision to revise the committee released their concern to some medical experts, given his history of vaccine skepticism.
For decades, ACIP has been a “very important system to guarantee the health and safety of the country,” said Dr. Nancy Bennett, an emeritus professor of medicine and public health sciences at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and a former chairman of the committee. “It is difficult to know what this enormous disruption in the system will cause in the future,” said Dr. Bennett.
How does the committee form the vaccine policy?
Since 1964, ACIP has made recommendations about the use of new and existing vaccines. Acip usually meets three times a year, in discussions that are open to the public.
The members of the committee entitled to vote, who are medical experts with considerable expertise in vaccines, virology and public health, are usually appointed by the health secretary for four -year deadlines. (The Commission also has one consumer representative with insight into the social and community aspects of vaccination programs.) The group discusses and votes about important questions about vaccines, such as those who have to receive COVID boosters or at what age children should receive Certain photos.
ACIP assesses vaccines that were first approved by the Food and Drug Administration, which assesses products for safety and efficacy.
To make its recommendations, the Commission assesses data from vaccine manufacturers, research and Security data of Vaccin of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and comments from the public. Acip also considered how serious a disease is from a public health perspective, and how essential it is to vaccinate against it, Dr. Bennett.
“We try to prevent as much suffering as possible and to prevent premature death as we can,” said Dr. Paul Hunter, a family doctor in Madison, Wis., Who previously served on Acip. “What is the best way to do that? What is the best science for that? What is the best practical way to implement that? What is the most cost -effective way to do that?”
The committee presents its recommendations to the CDC director. Historically, the CDC has adopted the most ACIP recommendations, although the CDC director has overcuulated the committee in rare cases.
Will I still be able to get vaccines if Acip does not recommend them?
If the FDA has approved a vaccine, people who are eligible for the shot must still be able to get.
Many insurers, including Medicare, have to pay fully for the vaccines recommended by ACIP. If the new committee stops recommending a vaccine, people may have to pay the shot from their own pocket, said Jennifer Kates, a senior vice president at the non -profit health organization KFF.
The Vaccins for Children program, a federal initiative that offers free vaccines for children whose parents cannot pay them, automatically covers the costs of a shot recommended by ACIP and the CDC is eligible for about half of the American children to get vaccines through the program, According to the CDC
“All types of other smart people can recommend it, your doctor can recommend it, you can want it, but you may not be able to pay for it,” said Dr. Arthur Reingold, a professor in epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health that has served on ACIP.
Where do I get reliable information about vaccines?
Doctors recommend talking to your doctor about the benefits and risks of vaccines and looking for guidance of groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, who regularly assess evidence and issue their own explanations and recommendations. In the past, this guidance has largely tailored ACIP’s recommendations. (The New York Times has one List of other recommendations for sources of accurate health information.)
Dr. Walter Oanenstein, an emeritus professor at Emory University and former director of the National Immunization Program at the CDC, said that reliable guidelines on vaccines are essential for preventing go up further When prevented diseases.
What happens afterwards?
ACIP has a maximum of 19 voting members. It is not clear whether and when Mr. Kennedy others will announce. The Commission is planned To meet from June 25 to June 27. A previously released agenda said that the Commission would discuss vaccines against COVID, Human Papillomavirus and Lyme, among other things.
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