Latest news with #LakshmiPanagiotakopoulos
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
CDC official who oversaw COVID-19 vaccine recommendations has resigned following HHS rollback
An official who oversaw the recommendations for COVID-19 vaccinations at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control has resigned. Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos resigned on Friday. '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,' she wrote in her resignation letter obtained by Channel 2 Action News. Panagiotakopoulos co-led a part of the CDC's independent panel of vaccine advisers to review evidence for recommendations on COVID vaccines. Last Week, U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be recommended for healthy children and pregnant women. In mid-April, advisers had discussed the possibility of narrowing the recommendations for who should receive an annual COVID vaccine -- prioritizing those at higher risk, such as adults over 65 or those with an underlying condition, ABC News reported on Wednesday. Last Thursday, the CDC updated its website. The agency said that shots may be given to children ages 6 months to 17 years who do not have moderate or severe problems with their immune systems. Instead of recommending the shots, the CDC now says parents may decide to get their children vaccinated in consultation with a doctor. TRENDING STORIES: Driver hospitalized after car flips, split in half during crash on GA highway Man tries to carjack 2 victims, police say. Then a good Samaritan jumped in to help Trump threatens to cut Musk's government contracts as their public feud escalates 'The old COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy children under 18 and for pregnant women have been removed from the CDC vaccine schedule,' an HHS spokesperson said in a statement. 'The CDC and HHS encourage individuals to talk with their healthcare provider about any personal medical decision.' Childhood vaccination rates for COVID-19 are already low — just 13% of children and 23% of adults have received the 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine, according to CDC data. Talk of changing the recommendations has been brewing. As the COVID-19 pandemic has waned, experts have discussed the possibility of focusing vaccination efforts on people 65 and older — who are among those most as risk for death and hospitalization. A CDC advisory panel is set to meet in this month to make recommendations about the fall shots. Among its options are suggesting shots for high-risk groups but still giving lower-risk people the choice to get vaccinated. A committee work group has endorsed the idea. But Kennedy, a leading anti-vaccine advocate before becoming health secretary, decided not to wait for the scientific panel's review. The new vaccine recommendation changes, their timing and the way there were announced have created confusion that can be 'incredibly harmful to the success of vaccination programs,' Schwartz said. 'It would be understandable if the public is completely baffled in terms of what the federal government thinks and what the science suggests ... about the evidence for the safety and value of these vaccines,' he added. American Academy of Pediatrics President Dr. Susan Kressly said the organization is relieved that families wanting COVID-19 shots for their children will still be able to get them. 'However,' she added, 'the deeply flawed process to reach the recommendation raises serious concerns about the stability of the nation's immunization infrastructure and commitment by federal leaders to make sure families can access critical immunizations.' The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this article.
2 days ago
- Health
CDC official who oversaw COVID vaccine recommendations resigns
An official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who oversaw the agency's recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines has resigned, following a week of mixed messaging from federal health officials over who would be eligible for the shots. "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," Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos wrote in her resignation letter obtained by ABC News. In her letter, Panagiotakopoulos said she resigned last Friday. Reuters first reported her resignation. Panagiotakopoulos co-led a part of the CDC's independent panel of vaccine advisers to review evidence for recommendations on COVID vaccines. In mid-April, the advisers had discussed the possibility of narrowing the recommendations for who should receive an annual COVID vaccine -- prioritizing those at higher risk such as adults over 65 or those with an underlying condition. Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the removal of COVID vaccines from the immunization schedule for healthy children and healthy pregnant women. Later on Friday, the CDC updated the immunization schedule allowing all children to be eligible to receive COVID vaccines, now under a shared clinical decision-making model, which means parents can choose to get their children vaccinated with the advice of a doctor. The mixed messages prompted concern from some medical organizations. "American families deserve better," the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said, in part, in a statement. "They deserve clear messages from all involved in their health, that are based on facts so they can continue to benefit from the success story of vaccines." The statement went on to say: "While the shared clinical decision-making model in the updated immunization schedule preserves families' choice, this model has consistently proven challenging to implement because it lacks clear guidance for the conversations between a doctor and a family. Doctors and families need straightforward, evidence-based guidance, not vague, impractical frameworks," the AAP statement added. Pregnant women were left without a recommendation on the CDC's immunization schedule as to whether or not to receive the COVID vaccine. Despite the change in recommendations from HHS, "the science has not changed," the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said in part of a statement. "It is very clear that COVID-19 infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and lead to major disability, and it can cause devastating consequences for families. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe during pregnancy, and vaccination can protect our patients and their infants after birth," the ACOG statement added. Federal officials had made the changes to the vaccine recommendations without the input of the CDC's independent panel of vaccine advisers and before their meeting set for late June, according to the public calendar. In the meeting, advisers were set to discuss their recommendation for who should be eligible for COVID vaccines including a vote on whether to narrow the recommendations. "Governmental guidance about vaccines is an important foundation that enables insurance coverage of—and therefore access to—vaccines, so changing government recommendations about which specific and limited populations should receive COVID-19 vaccines has far-reaching consequences," the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) said in part of a statement. Some medical and public health organizations had expressed concerns at the officials' change to vaccine recommendations without the input of independent advisers. "Federal vaccine recommendations have traditionally been developed by medical and public health experts who gather openly to review evidence and receive public input before recommending what vaccines are needed and who should be eligible for them. Conclusions are based on the best available science, and recommendations are communicated with precision and clarity, providing guidance to clinicians to make the best decisions with their patients," part of the IDSA statement read.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
CDC official who oversaw COVID vaccine recommendations resigns
An official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who oversaw the agency's recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines has resigned, following a week of mixed messaging from federal health officials over who would be eligible for the shots. "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," Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos wrote in her resignation letter obtained by ABC News. In her letter, Panagiotakopoulos said she resigned last Friday. Reuters first reported her resignation. MORE: RFK Jr. cuts COVID vaccine recommendation for healthy kids, pregnant women -- and why it matters Panagiotakopoulos co-led a part of the CDC's independent panel of vaccine advisers to review evidence for recommendations on COVID vaccines. In mid-April, the advisers had discussed the possibility of narrowing the recommendations for who should receive an annual COVID vaccine -- prioritizing those at higher risk such as adults over 65 or those with an underlying condition. Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the removal of COVID vaccines from the immunization schedule for healthy children and healthy pregnant women. Later on Friday, the CDC updated the immunization schedule allowing all children to be eligible to receive COVID vaccines, now under a shared clinical decision-making model, which means parents can choose to get their children vaccinated with the advice of a doctor. MORE: Why healthy children may need vaccination as RFK Jr. cuts COVID shot recommendation for some kids The mixed messages prompted concern from some medical organizations. "American families deserve better," the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said, in part, in a statement. "They deserve clear messages from all involved in their health, that are based on facts so they can continue to benefit from the success story of vaccines." The statement went on to say: "While the shared clinical decision-making model in the updated immunization schedule preserves families' choice, this model has consistently proven challenging to implement because it lacks clear guidance for the conversations between a doctor and a family. Doctors and families need straightforward, evidence-based guidance, not vague, impractical frameworks," the AAP statement added. Pregnant women were left without a recommendation on the CDC's immunization schedule as to whether or not to receive the COVID vaccine. Despite the change in recommendations from HHS, "the science has not changed," the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said in part of a statement. "It is very clear that COVID-19 infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and lead to major disability, and it can cause devastating consequences for families. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe during pregnancy, and vaccination can protect our patients and their infants after birth," the ACOG statement added. MORE: Why are more than 300 people in the US still dying from COVID every week? Federal officials had made the changes to the vaccine recommendations without the input of the CDC's independent panel of vaccine advisers and before their meeting set for late June, according to the public calendar. In the meeting, advisers were set to discuss their recommendation for who should be eligible for COVID vaccines including a vote on whether to narrow the recommendations. "Governmental guidance about vaccines is an important foundation that enables insurance coverage of—and therefore access to—vaccines, so changing government recommendations about which specific and limited populations should receive COVID-19 vaccines has far-reaching consequences," the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) said in part of a statement. Some medical and public health organizations had expressed concerns at the officials' change to vaccine recommendations without the input of independent advisers. "Federal vaccine recommendations have traditionally been developed by medical and public health experts who gather openly to review evidence and receive public input before recommending what vaccines are needed and who should be eligible for them. Conclusions are based on the best available science, and recommendations are communicated with precision and clarity, providing guidance to clinicians to make the best decisions with their patients," part of the IDSA statement read.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
CDC official who oversaw COVID vaccine recommendations resigns
An official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who oversaw the agency's recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines has resigned, following a week of mixed messaging from federal health officials over who would be eligible for the shots. "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," Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos wrote in her resignation letter obtained by ABC News. In her letter, Panagiotakopoulos said she resigned last Friday. Reuters first reported her resignation. MORE: RFK Jr. cuts COVID vaccine recommendation for healthy kids, pregnant women -- and why it matters Panagiotakopoulos co-led a part of the CDC's independent panel of vaccine advisers to review evidence for recommendations on COVID vaccines. In mid-April, the advisers had discussed the possibility of narrowing the recommendations for who should receive an annual COVID vaccine -- prioritizing those at higher risk such as adults over 65 or those with an underlying condition. Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the removal of COVID vaccines from the immunization schedule for healthy children and healthy pregnant women. Later on Friday, the CDC updated the immunization schedule allowing all children to be eligible to receive COVID vaccines, now under a shared clinical decision-making model, which means parents can choose to get their children vaccinated with the advice of a doctor. MORE: Why healthy children may need vaccination as RFK Jr. cuts COVID shot recommendation for some kids The mixed messages prompted concern from some medical organizations. "American families deserve better," the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said, in part, in a statement. "They deserve clear messages from all involved in their health, that are based on facts so they can continue to benefit from the success story of vaccines." The statement went on to say: "While the shared clinical decision-making model in the updated immunization schedule preserves families' choice, this model has consistently proven challenging to implement because it lacks clear guidance for the conversations between a doctor and a family. Doctors and families need straightforward, evidence-based guidance, not vague, impractical frameworks," the AAP statement added. Pregnant women were left without a recommendation on the CDC's immunization schedule as to whether or not to receive the COVID vaccine. Despite the change in recommendations from HHS, "the science has not changed," the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said in part of a statement. "It is very clear that COVID-19 infection during pregnancy can be catastrophic and lead to major disability, and it can cause devastating consequences for families. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe during pregnancy, and vaccination can protect our patients and their infants after birth," the ACOG statement added. MORE: Why are more than 300 people in the US still dying from COVID every week? Federal officials had made the changes to the vaccine recommendations without the input of the CDC's independent panel of vaccine advisers and before their meeting set for late June, according to the public calendar. In the meeting, advisers were set to discuss their recommendation for who should be eligible for COVID vaccines including a vote on whether to narrow the recommendations. "Governmental guidance about vaccines is an important foundation that enables insurance coverage of—and therefore access to—vaccines, so changing government recommendations about which specific and limited populations should receive COVID-19 vaccines has far-reaching consequences," the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) said in part of a statement. Some medical and public health organizations had expressed concerns at the officials' change to vaccine recommendations without the input of independent advisers. "Federal vaccine recommendations have traditionally been developed by medical and public health experts who gather openly to review evidence and receive public input before recommending what vaccines are needed and who should be eligible for them. Conclusions are based on the best available science, and recommendations are communicated with precision and clarity, providing guidance to clinicians to make the best decisions with their patients," part of the IDSA statement read.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Top CDC covid vaccine adviser quits after RFK Jr. ended recommendations
A top coronavirus vaccine adviser at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has resigned, citing concerns that she could no longer help vulnerable people after federal health officials rescinded long-standing recommendations to immunize children and pregnant women. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos said in an email to colleagues Tuesday that she made a 'personal decision' to quit the CDC after 12 years.
