Kennedy's Vaccine Panel Shifts U.S. Immunization Strategy Amid Controversy
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s advisory panel on vaccines suggests major changes in U.S. immunization policy, advocating shared decision-making while maintaining insurance coverage. Meanwhile, recommendations affecting COVID-19 and hepatitis B vaccines reveal internal divisions and contradictions in policy, prompting mixed responses from medical and insurance communities.
In a significant move, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine advisory panel has proposed that COVID-19 vaccinations should be a shared decision-making process between patients and healthcare providers. This stance alters previous recommendations and suggests a shift in the U.S. immunization policy landscape.
Significant debates during the panel's discussions exposed internal disagreements, particularly around the COVID-19 and hepatitis B vaccines. The panel abandoned a vote to delay neonatal hepatitis B vaccinations, briefly aligning with public health experts, while another proposal to require a prescription for COVID-19 vaccines was decisively rejected.
The insurance sector remains supportive, with AHIP confirming coverage for COVID-19 vaccines through 2026. Vaccine makers, including Pfizer and Moderna, have defended the efficacy and safety of their shots amidst presentations casting doubt on vaccine safety—a move experts fear may dent public confidence.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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