On May 27th, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Francis Kennedy Jr, announced changes to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women. Members of Congress were reportedly given a document detailing the grounds for this policy change. Medical experts, however, criticize the document for its distortions of legitimate studies and its citations of studies that are disputed and unpublished.
Many more have come out against Kennedy’s decision. The 17 recently fired members who made up the Advisory Council of Immunization Practices have come out against Kennedy, stating his actions “have stripped the program of the institutional knowledge and continuity that have been essential to its success over decades.” This advisory council is a council composed of experts who make recommendations that inform the CDC’s annual immunization schedules for children, adolescents, and adults. Scientific data appears to contradict Kennedy’s rationale for changes to vaccine recommendations. For example, a 2024 review of 67 studies found that fully vaccinated women had a 61% lower likelihood of contracting COVID-19 during pregnancy. Recently, Kennedy had fired the panel and since replaced it with an 8-member panel. Some members, such as Vicky Pebsworth and Dr. Robert Malone, have a history of spreading misinformation about vaccines.
These recent changes will have consequences for public health. Recommending against vaccination for certain groups could make it difficult to get vaccinated if insurers decide not to cover. As of now, immunization rates are already low, with 13 percent of children and 14.4 percent of pregnant women up to date with the 2024-25 edition of the COVID-19 vaccine. Attacks on public health persist, and the average worker will suffer the consequences.
By E. Sanchez
Originally posted here: https://acnhs.org/vaccine-changes-announced-by-denier-rfk-jr/
