CDC announces change in COVID-19 and chickenpox vaccine recommendations

The caller acting manager of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced changes to the recommended vaccination docket for adults against COVID-19 and for kids against chickenpox.

The changes were expected and were already previewed by recommendations made 2 weeks agone by the CDC’s almighty Advisory Committee connected Immunization Practices. All members of the committee were precocious replaced aft Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired everyone connected the erstwhile sheet earlier this year.

The CDC’s changes person been criticized by mainstream aesculapian groups.

The CDC is present recommending that children nether the property of 4 nary longer get a operation vaccine that protects against 4 diseases: the chickenpox (also known arsenic varicella), measles, mumps and rubella. Instead, the CDC present recommends 2 abstracted shots, 1 conscionable against chickenpox, and the different that protects against measles, mumps and rubella.

The CDC has besides present officially lifted its proposal that adults nether property 65 get the updated COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC present says the determination connected whether an big nether property 65 gets a COVID-19 vaccine should beryllium based connected “individual-based decision-making” successful consultation with wellness professionals similar a physician, caregiver oregon pharmacist.

This matches a alteration successful recommendations made to the puerility vaccination docket earlier this year.

The announcement was made by acting CDC manager Jim O’Neill, a apical lawman to Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic. O’Neill replaced Susan Monarez, who was fired arsenic CDC manager aft 29 days connected the job. Monarez said she was terminated aft she pushed backmost against an effort by her bosses to undermine vaccines; Kennedy said she was fired due to the fact that she said she was not trustworthy.

O’Neill has nary grooming successful medicine oregon healthcare and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees successful humanities, according to the Associated Press, and is simply a erstwhile capitalist who has been a professional of wellness regulations. He has antecedently worked astatine the Department of Health and Human Services, serving six years nether President George W. Bush.

O’Neill’s announcement said that the changes volition inactive let for immunization sum to proceed done programs including the Vaccines for Children program, Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medicare and Medicaid.

The American Academy for Pediatrics successful precocious September criticized the change, which removed the enactment for toddlers to get a azygous changeable that tin support against chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella.

The acting CDC director’s statement, issued by the property bureau of the Department of Health and Human Services, raised concerns astir an accrued hazard of febrile seizure caused by fever aft getting the combined chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (known arsenic MMRV) versus those fixed the chickenpox vaccine separately.

The American Academy of Pediatrics said that successful a gathering past month, immoderate of the CDC’s caller vaccine advisors “at times...misrepresented information and utilized talking points communal among anti-vaccine groups. Some seemed unfamiliar with febrile seizures. They besides disregarded CDC assurances that febrile seizures aft MMRV are uncommon and bash not person semipermanent impacts.”

The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that each adults get the updated COVID-19 vaccine, particularly those with hazard conditions and radical who person ne'er gotten a COVID-19 vaccine.

The California Department of Public Health has somewhat antithetic guidelines. The bureau recommends that adults younger than 65 with hazard factors get the COVID-19 vaccine, arsenic good arsenic each adults who are successful adjacent interaction with others with hazard factors, and everyone who chooses to get vaccinated. The bureau besides recommends that each seniors get vaccinated against COVID-19.