Latest news with #ACIP
Reuters
2 hours ago
- General
- Reuters
Exclusive: CDC expert resigns from COVID vaccines advisory role, sources say
June 3 (Reuters) - Pediatric infectious disease expert Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos of the U.S. CDC resigned on Tuesday as co-leader of a working group that advises outside experts on COVID-19 vaccines and is leaving the agency, two sources familiar with the move told Reuters. Panagiotakopoulos said in an email to work group colleagues that her decision to step down was based on the belief she is "no longer able to help the most vulnerable members" of the U.S. population. In her role at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's working group of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, she co-led the gathering of information on topics for presentation. Her resignation comes one week after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic who oversees the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health, said the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women had been removed from the CDC's recommended immunization schedule. The move was a departure from the process in which ACIP experts meet and vote on changes to the immunization schedule or recommendations on who should get vaccines before the agency's director made a final call. The committee had not voted on the changes announced by Kennedy and the CDC does not yet have a permanent director. Two days after Kennedy's announcement, the CDC published a vaccine schedule online saying that COVID-19 vaccines remain an option for healthy children aged 6 months to 17 years when parents and doctors agree that it is needed. It had previously recommended updated COVID vaccines for everyone aged six months and older, following the guidance of the panel of outside experts. Two sources said Panagiotakopoulos did not include a specific reason for her departure. Panagiotakopoulos did not return requests for comment. "Unfortunately for me, this is a personal decision," Panagiotakopoulos wrote in an email to members of the working group that was read to Reuters by a source who received it. "My career in public health and vaccinology started with a deep-seated desire to help the most vulnerable members of our population, and that is not something I am able to continue doing in this role." The committee is scheduled to meet on June 25-27 and is expected to deliberate and vote on recommendations for use of COVID-19 vaccines, according to one of the sources who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Local health experts weigh in on recent COVID-19 vaccine recommendation changes
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) modified its existing standards surrounding the COVID vaccine. Following this, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the vaccine will no longer be recommended for pregnant women and healthy children on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website. The new CDC guidelines still recommend the vaccine for folks ages 65 or older and those with pre-existing medical conditions. Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Microbiotics and Immunology at the University of Rochester Dr. Jennifer Nayak explained how this decision does not fall in line with how guidelines changes are traditionally addressed. 'The current recommendations bypass this really critical review of the data,' Nayak said. 'So as a physician, I'm taking a wait and see approach' In past scenarios, should the CDC aim to change vaccine recommendations, it would seek out research and advice compiled by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Nayak says ACIP was slated to discuss new recommendations for the COVID-19 vaccine in late June. Because of this, Nayak expressed her worries about the potential effects of this decision. 'By removing the recommendation for pregnant women to be vaccinated, you're not only increasing risk for the mom, but you're also increasing risk for the newborn infant,' Nayak said. She also shared her thoughts on how this may impact children who are no longer recommended to get the vaccine. 'We know that children who are hospitalized with COVID-19, about 41% of them don't have a known preexisting condition,' Nayak said. 'When you limit vaccination to only children who have preexisting conditions, you're going to miss some of the children who will get more seriously ill with this virus.' Nayak still looks forward to reviewing the recommendations provided by ACIP following their committee meeting next month. 'I do hope that going forward, we're able to sit down and reevaluate the data following the standard approach to come up with recommendations for how to best go about protecting people from both COVID-19 as well as other infectious diseases,' Nayak said. The FDA approved a new COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Moderna earlier this week under the new recommendations and guidelines. The full list of CDC recommendations for the COVID-19 vaccine can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
RFK Jr. Wants To Take COVID Shots Away From Pregnant People — But You Can Fight Back
Read on Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy's war on health care in the U.S. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a man who just a few weeks ago told the American people, 'I don't think people should be taking medical advice from me,' is now dishing out vaccine recommendations for pregnant people and children. You've likely heard about the video he posted on X, formerly Twitter, which was accompanied by the caption 'today, the COVID vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women has been removed from [the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] recommended immunization schedule.' Going against Kennedy, though, the CDC on Thursday published its new recommendations and still suggest the vaccine for children. But, in line with Kennedy's X announcement, the COVID vaccine is no longer recommended for pregnant people, according to the CDC website. This is all confusing — and, particularly if you're pregnant, it's only natural to be worried. But it's not currently clear what this will actually mean for the vaccine come fall when the new formulation is available.'The first thing I do want to tell every reader is that the ACIP, or the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, is still going to meet in June, and I think this is important to remember because although RFK sidestepped really what is a decades-long practice of having independent reviewers review all the science and then make a vaccine recommendation ... the ACIP could potentially disagree with RFK's blanket statement,' Dr. Anita Patel, a pediatric critical care doctor in Washington, D.C., told HuffPost. Also, since Kennedy did not qualify this change with science-backed reasoning, Patel is hopeful that this decision could be overturned. Suffice to say, you shouldn't panic, but you should take this threat seriously. Doctors spoke with HuffPost about why this move is dangerous, what you can do to advocate for vaccine access and how to stay healthy if you can't get the jab come fall: Kennedy's announcement of the removal of the COVID vaccine from the recommended vaccination schedule for pregnant people and children is a strange move for many reasons. 'When we really look at who would benefit from COVID vaccines, we do really see value in continuing to vaccinate pregnant women and babies, particularly young children who have never had a primary series,' said Dr. Lori Handy, the associate director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The vaccine is important for pregnant people because they're immunocompromised during pregnancy, Handy said. More, 'when pregnant, the physiology of how your heart and your lungs work changes because [your body] redirects a lot of your blood flow to the placenta to support the fetus, and that makes COVID infection more risky for pregnant moms,' Handy added. Beyond the health of the pregnant person, the COVID vaccine also benefits the growing fetus. When a pregnant person gets vaccinated, they then pass those antibodies on to the fetus, she noted. 'And we know that children under 1 are hospitalized at rates second only to people over age 75. So, they're the second most hospitalized group to the elderly, which really states just how significant the infection is for babies and how important it is to get them protected,' Handy said. The COVID vaccine also reduces the risk of stillbirth and preterm labor, Patel said. '[People who] really want to continue to have access to vaccines, the key thing they could do right now, actually, is talk with their local, state and federal legislators, let them know' Handy said. 'Please advocate for us and help protect this resource, because we want to have it available even if the guidance changes. ... We want to make sure that vaccines stay available for all of the people that want it,' Handy said. Your voice matters, and this fight isn't over, Patel said. 'It is also important to remember that the representatives, whether it's a congressperson or a senator, they work for you,' Patel noted. You can directly call or email your elected officials and let them know you aren't going to vote for them again if they don't fight against the COVID shot restrictions. 'So, using language that is very literal and deliberate, saying 'I will not vote for you if you support this decision to rescind the recommendation regarding COVID-19 vaccinations for pregnant individuals and people under 65,'' Patel said. 'And I really, I really believe in this process, because although we haven't been able to overturn everything, there has been a lot of movement in these executive orders and unlawful announcements, and that is because of the voice of the American people,' she said. Patel added that the Trump administration is trying to upset us. 'They are trying to paralyze us so that we can't act, and if us as a society and us as a populace in America allow them to do that, we will lose our voice. But if we continue to push back, we will not,' Patel said. 'With regard to pregnant individuals, although the administration has taken the stance against vaccinating pregnant persons against COVID, their doctor, whether it's their OB or their primary care doctor, can still say 'My patient is at high risk for adverse outcomes secondary to COVID-19, and therefore it is medically indicated for this patient to receive the vaccine,'' Patel said. 'And the truth is that RFK actually allowed for that loophole in his announcement when he said that they will continue to cover the vaccine for vulnerable populations,' Patel said, and added that inactivity is one of the underlying conditions that can make you eligible for the jab. 'So there are a lot of underlying conditions that people may not even realize are on that list.' This administration is creating lots of chaos with its inflammatory and scary decisions, but 'those decisions haven't necessarily trickled down yet into a sphere in which they are appreciably affecting people's ability to get the vaccine,' Patel said. 'I can't say what's going to happen once the ACIP has met, but at this moment in time, children can still get the COVID-19 vaccine ... and as long as an OB-GYN appropriately justifies the indication for the COVID-19 vaccine for pregnant persons, that pregnant person should still be able to get it,' Patel noted. If your doctor does not agree to give you a COVID-19 vaccine, Patel recommends that you seek out a second opinion. There are things you can do to protect yourself if a worst-case scenario unfolds and pregnant folks aren't able to get the COVID-19 vaccine come fall. 'If you are in any way at risk of a more severe outcome from respiratory infections, wear a mask when you go to crowded places,' Handy said. You should also practice good hand hygiene — washing your hands regularly and using hand sanitizer when you're out and about. 'People should worry about COVID, but also flu, rhinovirus, all of these infections can make people, particularly pregnant people or immunocompromised people, very ill, and we want to keep those people safe,' Handy added. When it comes to keeping babies, and particularly newborns, safe, Handy said she tries to 'surround them, essentially cocoon them, with other healthy people.' This may look like turning away a sniffling babysitter or leaving a friend's house when you notice their coughing 2-year-old. 'Trying to stay around healthy people is just logistically hard in a busy life, but it does protect your child, particularly during winter seasons, when a lot more viruses circulate,' Handy said. It's also important to get all of the other recommended vaccines for your baby on time, Handy noted. You can ask your pediatrician any questions you have about vaccines, 'but just recognize when your health care provider makes a recommendation for a vaccine in the first week of life, for a vaccine at 2 months of life, that is really done to give the baby the most protection they can. And changing that schedule or delaying just increases the time that that baby's at risk,' Handy said. 'So, if we do face a world where baby can't have COVID protection, making sure they're protected from every single other thing, and then practicing those good infection prevention practices, is really the best we'll be able to do,' Handy noted. A New COVID Variant Is Here, And It's More Transmissible — Here Are The Signs And Symptoms Trump's FDA Has Axed COVID Boosters For Most People — And Medical Experts Are Deeply Worried
5 days ago
- Health
Why healthy children may need vaccination as RFK Jr. cuts COVID shot recommendation for some kids
Earlier this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in a video posted on X that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would no longer be recommending COVID-19 vaccines for "healthy children and pregnant people." In the video, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said there is no evidence that healthy children "need" the vaccine. National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya also appeared in the video. Public health experts said they were surprised by the way the decision was announced. "The risks are real of COVID but, in general, for an otherwise healthy kid, the bad stuff is thankfully on the low side," Dr. Gregory Poland, a vaccinologist and president and co-director of the Atria Research Institute, which focuses on disease prevention, told ABC News. "But you have to keep remembering that the risks of the vaccine are lower still," he continued. "You can get the vaccine and get infected, but your infection will be much less severe, or you cannot get the vaccine and get infected and have far higher rates of illness and complications and even a risk of death." Risks of COVID in children The current COVID-19 vaccine, the updated 2024-25 shot, was until recently recommended for all Americans ages 6 months and older. While those with one or more underlying conditions are at higher risk of severe COVD, anybody who becomes infected with the virus can be hospitalized, develop severe disease and die. When the CDC's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), which provides advice and guidance on the control of vaccine-preventable diseases, presented data at its last meeting, it "showed that 152 children died last year of COVID. 40% of those children were perfectly healthy," Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told ABC News. "So when [Kennedy] says he's not recommending the vaccine for healthy children, that flies in the face of data," he added. Offit explained that usually it's the ACIP that discusses if there is a benefit to a yearly vaccine and who should get it. The independent advisory committee then makes recommendations to the CDC, which has the final say on who should get what vaccine. "That's not the way this played out. You basically had three men standing up in a little Twitter event making this declaration … without any input from the public, without any input from experts, just these three people, specifically RFK Jr. at the center," Offit said. There is also a risk of long-term side effects even in otherwise healthy children, according to experts. As of 2023, more than 1 million U.S. children may have been affected by long COVID at some point, a CDC study published in February found. At the time the survey was being conducted, approximately 293,000 children were experiencing the condition. "About a million U.S. kids, it's estimated, have [had] long COVID," Poland said. "If you get the vaccine, you can reduce that risk. Getting the vaccine decreases ER visits and hospitalization by about 40%." A CDC-led study, published in February found that COVID mRNA vaccination lowered the risk of having at least one or two long COVID symptoms in children ages 5 to 17. Poland and Offit said there is also a community benefit from being vaccinated. When otherwise healthy children are vaccinated, it protects vulnerable members of the community from infection. Although immunity wanes, COVID-19 vaccines do, at least temporarily, provide some protection against transmission. "I would say the primary benefit is to the actual child who gets immunized. There's a secondary, but admittedly transient, benefit to the community," Poland said. "The protection against transmission is short-lived. It's there for a period of time. It's there, but it's transient. But when you do it across a community, you get added benefits." Questions remain on new policy Offit said it's unclear if Kennedy's announcement means the CDC will no longer recommend COVID vaccines to healthy children who are previously vaccinated or up to date on vaccines or if the announcement applies to all children regardless of vaccination status. "I assume what he's saying is that otherwise healthy children who have been fully vaccinated don't necessarily benefit from a yearly vaccine," Offit said. "If that's what he means, that's what he should say. He didn't say yearly dosing. He said 'healthy children.'" Federal health officials also did not elaborate on what "healthy" children means, which the experts said is bound to lead to some confusion. Poland said this is because Kennedy has made previous public comments on the growing rate of chronic disease in children, which could mean that he considers many children "unhealthy." For example, in the White House's Make America Healthy Again Commission report on chronic disease, which was published last week, it cited an unnamed study that allegedly found 77% of young Americans are ineligible for military service due to chronic conditions. "That's saying, in effect, that 77% of the U.S. childhood population is not healthy," Poland said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Why healthy children may need vaccination as RFK Jr. cuts COVID shot recommendation for some kids
Earlier this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in a video posted on X that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would no longer be recommending COVID-19 vaccines for "healthy children and pregnant people." In the video, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said there is no evidence that healthy children "need" the vaccine. National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya also appeared in the video. Public health experts said they were surprised by the way the decision was announced. MORE: Why are more than 300 people in the US still dying from COVID every week? "The risks are real of COVID but, in general, for an otherwise healthy kid, the bad stuff is thankfully on the low side," Dr. Gregory Poland, a vaccinologist and president and co-director of the Atria Research Institute, which focuses on disease prevention, told ABC News. "But you have to keep remembering that the risks of the vaccine are lower still," he continued. "You can get the vaccine and get infected, but your infection will be much less severe, or you cannot get the vaccine and get infected and have far higher rates of illness and complications and even a risk of death." The current COVID-19 vaccine, the updated 2024-25 shot, was until recently recommended for all Americans ages 6 months and older. While those with one or more underlying conditions are at higher risk of severe COVD, anybody who becomes infected with the virus can be hospitalized, develop severe disease and die. When the CDC's Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), which provides advice and guidance on the control of vaccine-preventable diseases, presented data at its last meeting, it "showed that 152 children died last year of COVID. 40% of those children were perfectly healthy," Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told ABC News. "So when [Kennedy] says he's not recommending the vaccine for healthy children, that flies in the face of data," he added. Offit explained that usually it's the ACIP that discusses if there is a benefit to a yearly vaccine and who should get it. The independent advisory committee then makes recommendations to the CDC, which has the final say on who should get what vaccine. "That's not the way this played out. You basically had three men standing up in a little Twitter event making this declaration … without any input from the public, without any input from experts, just these three people, specifically RFK Jr. at the center," Offit said. There is also a risk of long-term side effects even in otherwise healthy children, according to experts. As of 2023, more than 1 million U.S. children may have been affected by long COVID at some point, a CDC study published in February found. At the time the survey was being conducted, approximately 293,000 children were experiencing the condition. MORE: What we know about the safety, efficacy of mRNA vaccines amid recent scrutiny "About a million U.S. kids, it's estimated, have [had] long COVID," Poland said. "If you get the vaccine, you can reduce that risk. Getting the vaccine decreases ER visits and hospitalization by about 40%." A CDC-led study, published in February found that COVID mRNA vaccination lowered the risk of having at least one or two long COVID symptoms in children ages 5 to 17. Poland and Offit said there is also a community benefit from being vaccinated. When otherwise healthy children are vaccinated, it protects vulnerable members of the community from infection. Although immunity wanes, COVID-19 vaccines do, at least temporarily, provide some protection against transmission. "I would say the primary benefit is to the actual child who gets immunized. There's a secondary, but admittedly transient, benefit to the community," Poland said. "The protection against transmission is short-lived. It's there for a period of time. It's there, but it's transient. But when you do it across a community, you get added benefits." Offit said it's unclear if Kennedy's announcement means the CDC will no longer recommend COVID vaccines to healthy children who are previously vaccinated or up to date on vaccines or if the announcement applies to all children regardless of vaccination status. "I assume what he's saying is that otherwise healthy children who have been fully vaccinated don't necessarily benefit from a yearly vaccine," Offit said. "If that's what he means, that's what he should say. He didn't say yearly dosing. He said 'healthy children.'" Federal health officials also did not elaborate on what "healthy" children means, which the experts said is bound to lead to some confusion. Poland said this is because Kennedy has made previous public comments on the growing rate of chronic disease in children, which could mean that he considers many children "unhealthy." For example, in the White House's Make America Healthy Again Commission report on chronic disease, which was published last week, it cited an unnamed study that allegedly found 77% of young Americans are ineligible for military service due to chronic conditions. "That's saying, in effect, that 77% of the U.S. childhood population is not healthy," Poland said. Why healthy children may need vaccination as RFK Jr. cuts COVID shot recommendation for some kids originally appeared on
