A newly-assembled CDC advisory committee, handpicked by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., spent two chaotic days debating federal public health strategies before voting to change some vaccine protocols for both COVID-19 and a combination MMRV shot for children.
A leader of the national “Make America Healthy Again” movement, Kennedy is a known vaccine skeptic and his new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, contains several members who openly question federal vaccination policies. The committee’s initial gathering got off to a rocky start last week, with members often questioning what their votes actually meant. Angry liaison groups accused ACIP members with cherry picking unqualified research and skewing decisions based on personal anecdotes.
“You’re not looking at all aspects,” said Dr. Jason Goldman, president of the American College of Physicians. “You’re looking at very small data points and misrepresenting how it works in the real world and how we take care of our patients. So, no, this was not a thoroughly-vetted discussion.” To read the full story.