An influential federal committee that recommends vaccine policies for Americans is set to meet on Thursday and Friday to review important immunizations that have long been in use.
The panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, is expected to vote on the shots for Covid and hepatitis B — a highly infectious disease that damages the liver — as well as on a combination vaccine called M.M.R.V., which offers protection against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox).
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has frequently questioned the safety of these vaccines. On Wednesday, Susan Monarez, who was ousted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after less than a month as its director, told lawmakers that Mr. Kennedy planned to revise the childhood immunization schedule.
He “directed me to commit in advance to approving every A.C.I.P. recommendation regardless of the scientific evidence,” she said.
On Thursday, the committee is expected to limit the use of the hepatitis B vaccine, recommending that it be given only to newborns whose mothers are known to be infected with the virus. The panel may also rescind use of the M.M.R.V. vaccine. On Friday, it may vote to narrow the recommendations for who should receive the Covid vaccine.
The committee’s votes may not have as much influence as in the past. Insurance companies are required to cover all vaccines endorsed by the committee, although they may choose to cover more.
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