RFK Jr's vaccine panel to review long-approved jabs for children
The new members of US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's panel of vaccine advisers will review long-approved immunisation schedules for children and teens.The seven members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Acip) met for the first time on Wednesday, weeks after Kennedy ousted all 17 of their predecessors.The Acip recommends who should be vaccinated and when to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Ahead of the meeting, public health experts and politicians raised concerns about the qualifications of the new members - several of whom are vaccine critics.
The health secretary sparked uproar when he removed all 17 members of the ACIP on 9 June, and then hand-picked eight new members to serve on the panel - including one who dropped out hours before the first meeting.Wednesday's meeting began with the new chair Dr Martin Kulldorff telling the panel that he was fired from his job as a professor at Harvard University because he refused to get a Covid-19 vaccine. Dr Kulldorff also announced the panel would launch new working groups to examine child vaccination schedules and vaccines that were approved seven or more years ago. He said it would be reviewed whether it was "wise" to give the hepatitis B vaccines to newborns, a shot proven safe and effective at preventing the infection that causes liver cancer.Vaccine schedules for measles would also be reviewed, he said.Examining vaccines licensed seven or more years ago raises concerns, because it suggests the process to approve them was flawed, said Bill Hanage, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health."I cannot think of any rational reason you would look at that and think it to be the case," he said.The panel was initially meant to vote on recommendations for shots against RSV, a respiratory virus that can be dangerous for infants, but that has been postponed. On Thursday, the group is scheduled to hear a presentation on the use of thimerosal in vaccines given by Lyn Redwood, a former leader of Children's Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group Kennedy used to run.Ms Redwood has been hired by the CDC to work in its vaccine safety office, according to the BBC's US partner CBS News.The decision for the panel to discuss thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that has not been used in most vaccines for decades, is perplexing, Dr Hanage said. In the past, he said, Acip's members had a wide range of vaccine expertise and would scrutinise vaccine recommendations for months.This time, Kennedy chose for the panel "people that are like him - people in the past who have shown an anti-vaccine bias", said Dr Paul Offit, a former Acip member and director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.One of the new Acip members was Dr Michael Ross, however he withdrew this week ahead of a review of members' financial holdings, the Department of Health and Human Services said.Kennedy's panel choices have also sparked criticism from Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician who was sceptical of voting to confirm Kennedy as health secretary because of his stances on vaccines.In a post on X, Cassidy said the panel should not proceed with their meeting because of the group's small size and the lack of a CDC director in place to approve their recommendations."Although the appointees to ACIP have scientific credentials, many do not have significant experience studying microbiology, epidemiology or immunology," he wrote. "In particular, some lack experience studying new technologies such as mRNA vaccines, and may even have a preconceived bias against them."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
.png%3Fwidth%3D1200%26height%3D800%26crop%3D1200%3A800&w=3840&q=100)
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
‘We haven't learned anything': Readers despair over UK's Covid response in 2025
Big disasters often change how we see the world. The Lisbon earthquake in 1755 shook people's faith in religion. After the 1918 flu pandemic, there was growing interest in fresh air, better hygiene, and healthier living spaces – ideas that influenced architecture and public health policy at the time. Covid, though? So far, the public inquiry has focused more on WhatsApp messages and political drama than on the bigger lessons. But many Independent readers believe there were lessons, but we haven't necessarily learned from them. Before the pandemic, there were fears that people wouldn't cope with restrictions – that 'behavioural fatigue' would kick in and we'd all give up. That fear led to delays in lockdown and, in the end, cost tens of thousands of lives. But that view turned out to be wrong. Faced with a shared threat, most people acted with care and responsibility. Communities pulled together. Many went without seeing loved ones, missed work, lost income – all to protect others. Now, readers feel much of that collective effort has vanished. When we asked for your views, you told us that people no longer wear masks on public transport, and sick people are back in offices and schools. The things we learned – about clean air, proper sick pay, the importance of staying home when ill – are being forgotten, even though the virus hasn't gone away. Many of you told us that the return to 'normal' is anything but normal. You're frustrated by the lack of public messaging, the scrapping of protections, and the ongoing risks, especially from long Covid. Here's what you had to say: Covid is more like polio than flu Unfortunately, Covid is still here, still causing ill health and disability. Doing nothing is a false economy: in terms of impact, Covid is more like polio than flu – and we don't ignore polio. We don't need extreme measures, but good ventilation, FFP masks (especially in healthcare), HEPA filters in enclosed spaces like classrooms, wards, clinics and offices would all make a difference and aren't difficult. Reversing the removal of NHS vaccination from most groups, and ensuring access to vaccines and antivirals – the norm in other countries that are doing better – is essential. Multiple Covid infections, even if mild, increase the chance of complications, including cardiac, and damage the immune system, making it harder to shake off other infections. Long covid is now the most common illness in US children, and the UK is on the same trajectory, for the same reason. In children, Covid can cause metabolic dysfunction and lead to diabetes. This is all avoidable. Housemartin We know what to do – we're just not doing it We haven't learned anything. We need clean air in public spaces (especially schools and health settings); proper sick pay; to stop the ridiculous pressure to send infectious children into school; better public information about the benefits of masks and ventilation; use of high-quality masks where appropriate (certainly for people with symptoms, and routinely in healthcare settings and for travel); and vaccines available to anyone who wants one. Affordable tests should also be widely available. We know what to do to reduce the spread of Covid – we're just not doing any of it. Kittensarecute We didn't learn anything No, we didn't learn anything from the Covid pandemic. It was all done through panic. It wasn't handled right at all, money was wasted, and greedy firms faked the prices to make obscene profits. No medical authority had the faintest clue how to handle it. This must never happen again – separating families, causing misery and sheer panic. We have had pandemics before and will again. Lessons must be learned from that last fiasco and handled totally differently. People will catch it regardless of what they do; it cannot be avoided. Time for a total rethink from these so-called medical experts. Annieinthecastle Long Covid is the main danger The main danger with Covid is getting long Covid. The science says no one is immune to suffering from it, and it's likely a lifelong chronic condition that could end your ability to work. 3.2 million English people know that is what they are suffering from, and the number goes up every year. The only defence we really have against Covid now, since most of the vaccines have been withheld, is wearing an FFP2/3 respirator, which is hugely effective at stopping infection. These masks also stop hay fever and most other infections as well. People who have started wearing them haven't been sick in years. Paul Covid could be eradicated – but there's no will Covid-19 could be eradicated pretty easily in this country with ventilation, investment in proper HEPA infrastructure in all public buildings, a functioning vaccination programme, and – most importantly of all – those who can mask to wear FFP2 or FFP3 respirators when indoors anywhere. If the government could be bothered to protect our public health, it should lock down the country – properly – for a couple of weeks. With all that in place, it would disappear. There is no will or impetus among our leaders to protect us from this incredibly disabling illness. Bumblebee Covid is here to stay. There is growing consensus it probably escaped from a lab, and it will carry on rapidly mutating – picking off the vulnerable and elderly – saving governments a bit of cash, somewhat offset by the cost of Long Covid. I mask in shops but rarely see anyone else doing so. Sooner or later, a vicious strain will emerge, and we'll be back to square one. Galileo666 Learn from countries like Japan We should take the findings of other countries ahead of us into account – e.g. Japan on the spread of the virus – and improve ventilation of buildings, trains and buses... even doctors' waiting rooms in the winter! Jennifer Covid is an inconvenient fact Covid is an inconvenient fact that governments and the right-wing press prefer to suppress. Sadly, it's still very much around, and it's still killing the old, the very young and those with a compromised immune system. It's also leaving a trail of devastation in the shape of long-term damage caused by long Covid. And all of this relates just to people – there's also the impact on the economy. Drugs which would have enabled the immunocompromised to live normal lives (hundreds of thousands are still shielding) have been denied by the UK government to cut costs. Drugs like Paxlovid – literally a life-saver for any immunocompromised person unlucky enough to contract Covid – have been made near-impossible to access. The treatment of immunocompromised people by this government and previous ones is shameful. And to cap it all, there are still plenty of clowns around who somehow feel threatened by anyone taking the sensible precaution of wearing a mask, and feel the need to mock or display outright aggression. DavidM The conversation isn't over. To join in, all you need to do is register your details, then you can take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking 'log in' on the top right-hand corner of the screen.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Doctors issue urgent warning over 13 common meds that could cause deadly side effects during heatwave
Doctors are warning about common medications that could have life-threatening side effects in hot weather amid a brutal heatwave sweeping the US. Dr Nicholas Dragolea, the founder of UK-based My Longevity Centre, pinpoints 13 types of drugs taken by millions across the country, which could have devastating consequences when combined with temperatures exceeding 86 F. Your browser does not support iframes.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
The truth about fruit juice and smoothies: should you down them or ditch them?
When my sister saw me drinking a glass of orange juice at breakfast, she was horrified. 'You're drinking pure sugar!' she said. Juice, once considered so virtuous people paid good money to go on 'juice fasts', has been demonised over the past decade. The epidemiologist and author Tim Spector has said orange juice should 'come with a health warning' and he'd rather people drink Coca-Cola. Despite this, the global juice market is growing, with chains such as Joe & the Juice expanding rapidly – and in an umbrella review last year, Australian researchers found potential health benefits to drinking juice. So should you jettison your juicer and boycott juice bars? Or add a glass of OJ to your daily diet? I asked the experts to clear up the confusion. It depends where you live. In the US, 100% juice is a recommended 'primary beverage' alongside water. In Canada, though, juice has been excluded from healthy eating guidelines altogether. Other countries tend to be somewhere in between. The UK, Spain and the Netherlands recommend limiting juice to one serving a day, while in New Zealand the limit is once a week and Australia suggests one serving 'occasionally'. Sammie Gill, a registered dietitian with the British Dietetic Association, says juices offer a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, such as polyphenols. Studies from the US, Canada and Iran 'have shown that drinking orange or apple juice is linked with lower levels of inflammation and improvements in cardiovascular health,' she says. 'Fruit juice shouldn't be discouraged within the context of a healthy balanced diet.' As well as vitamins, juice also provides a concentrated source of sugar (mainly fructose). Consuming too many of these 'free sugars' – released when the fruit is crushed into juice – contributes to tooth decay and obesity and may put you at risk of type 2 diabetes. The WHO suggests limiting the intake of free sugars, including those found in fruit juice, to less than 10% of daily calories; the UK limit is 5%, or 30g (seven teaspoons). 'A 150ml serving of fruit juice contains around 12g of free sugars, so it's very easy to exceed your maximum with just a few glasses,' says Gill. 'Drinking fruit and vegetables in liquid form is very different to eating whole fruit and vegetables in their intact form,' Gill says. 'You're only getting partial benefit.' Namely, you miss out on the fibre found in the fruit's skin and flesh. 'With whole fruit, mechanical breakdown (chewing) and chemical breakdown (enzymes) slowly release the contents of the fruit's cells. In liquid form, fruit passes through your gut and is absorbed more quickly, which can result in a rapid release of sugar into the bloodstream.' She adds that large amounts of fructose in one go can trigger symptoms in people with a sensitive gut, such as those with irritable bowel syndrome. Rob Hobson, the author of Unprocess Your Family Life, says vegetable juice tends to be lower in sugar and contain a wider range of nutrients: 'For example, beetroot juice contains nitrates, carrot juice contains vitamin A and dark leafy greens such as kale contain magnesium and calcium.' With shop-bought green juices, he advises checking the ingredients list – many are mainly apple juice. And, he stresses: 'Drinking green juice is never as good as eating the whole vegetable.' The 2024 Australian review concludes that while more studies are needed on vegetable juice, it could be a useful addition to people's diets. 'Vegetable consumption is even lower than fruit consumption at a population level. As such, it is important to consider the potential for vegetable juices to be incorporated into models of healthy eating to address this gap,' write the researchers. Even Spector is a fan. In his book The Diet Myth, he says a regular multi-vegetable juice has health benefits. If they are made from whole fruits and vegetables blended up, smoothies will contain beneficial fibre – but beware shop-bought ones made from fruit purees. 'Homemade smoothies are your best bet because you can use all edible parts of the fruits and vegetables, including the juice, flesh, seeds and skins,' says Gill. 'Leaving the skins on can increase the fibre content by up to 50%. You're getting more nutritional bang for your buck.' In the UK, frozen berries were added to the ONS inflation basket in 2023 and mango was added this year, reflecting the growing popularity of homemade smoothies. Vary your ingredients for maximum nutritional benefit and prioritise vegetables over fruit, says Gill. You can add protein, healthy fats and additional fibre in the form of milk, yoghurt or kefir, nut butter, seeds and oats. Hobson likes to make a smoothie bowl topped with coconut shavings and chopped fruit. Bridget Benelam of the British Nutrition Foundation advises keeping an eye on calories. 'There's a feeling that if it's a drink, it doesn't count, but of course it does. Just be aware of it and adjust other things in your diet to maintain balance.' Dietary advice in many countries is to drink no more than 125-150ml of fruit juice, vegetable juice or smoothie daily – a small glass. The Australian study concluded you can be a little more generous: 'The multiple potential beneficial effects detected at low to moderate levels (50-240 ml/day) of 100% juice consumption can provide exposure to beneficial nutrients and bioactive compounds, without the risks associated with excess consumption of free sugars and calories.' Gill says that consuming anything in excess can be harmful to health. 'Enjoy a glass of fruit juice or smoothie, but don't rely on it to hydrate you throughout the day. It shouldn't be your default drink … Think of it this way: it takes three to four oranges to make one glass of juice. You wouldn't eat four oranges in one sitting.' No. Even a green juice containing five different vegetables, or a smoothie made from five kinds of fruit, counts for only one of your five a day, because of the free sugars and lack of fibre. Hobson goes further. 'Juice is an extra – you should still eat at least five fruits and vegetables in whole form,' he says. 'You shouldn't get into the habit of drinking your nutrition. We should be chewing, not sipping!' As well as prioritising vegetables, include lower-sugar fruits such as berries, stone fruits, citrus fruits, kiwi and avocado. Consider diluting juices and smoothies with still or sparkling water, or ice – Benelam says juice should always be diluted half and half with water when given to children. The NHS advises drinking juices and smoothies at mealtimes, not as a between-meal snack, to reduce the risk of tooth decay. This may have an added benefit, says Hobson – especially for vegetarians and vegans. 'Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron from plant-based sources such as dark green leafy vegetables, tofu, seeds, beans and lentils.' 'Always choose a pure 100% fruit juice, ideally with pulp,' says Gill. Avoid 'fruit nectars' and products labelled 'juice drinks': 'They are bulked out with other ingredients such as sweeteners, colours and flavourings.' 'It depends what you can afford,' points out Hobson. 'Buy fresh juice if you can – pasteurised juice loses vitamin C. You'll still get some vitamin C from juice that is made from concentrate, but avoid any with added sugar or syrup.' 'Vitamin C is sensitive to oxidisation and levels do decline, so freshly made juices at a juice bar may contain more,' says Benelam. 'But portions tend to be very large – go for a small size.' Gill says there is evidence to show that ginger can help with nausea and that turmeric has anti-inflammatory effects. 'There is no harm in taking a daily shot if you enjoy it,' she says. 'At the same time, they are often expensive, can contain added sugars and different brands contain different amounts of ginger.' She notes that supplementing with ginger can interact with medications such as blood thinners; seek advice from a pharmacist if necessary. Hobson is more sceptical. 'I'm not sold on fruit shots,' he says. 'A lot of them are apple juice with a bit of ginger.' It's probably better – and certainly cheaper – to use ginger and turmeric in cooking instead. 'Juice fasts are unsustainable and unrealistic for most people,' says Gill. 'While fruit and vegetables are a rich source of many nutrients, including fibre and vitamin C, they are limited in other nutrients – such as vitamin B12, iron, omega 3 and protein. They cannot provide the body with all its nutritional needs. Food diversity is what's needed for optimal health.' There is no need to 'detox', adds Benelam. 'Our bodies are very good at getting rid of toxins.' And Hobson is unequivocal: 'Avoid juice fasts at all costs. There are no health benefits whatsoever.' 'We should get most of our hydration from water,' says Benelam – but it doesn't have to be plain. Gill suggests flavouring still or sparkling water with chopped fruit or berries; a squeeze of lemon or lime; herbs such as mint, basil or rosemary; or slices of cucumber. She says other drink options include kombucha – 'Just check the amount of sugar, which can vary from brand to brand' – and herbal and fruit teas (hot or iced). Gill suggests Greek yoghurt topped with banana or berries, chia seeds and honey. Benelam keeps it simple: 'A glass of milk – cow's or plant-based – is a good alternative before or after the gym. It contains protein, nutrients and electrolytes.' In an ideal world, we'd get our vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds (such as polyphenols, flavonoids and carotenoids) from whole fruits and vegetables, rather than juices and smoothies. However, most of us don't eat enough of them. As the Australian review points out, juices and smoothies are an 'affordable, accessible and palatable' addition to the diet. You're not better off with Cola-Cola – but you should stick to one small glass a day. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
