Kennedy advisers vote against MMRV shot for children under 4

Bangkok Post Group

U.S. vaccine advisers voted on Thursday to revise the use of one of two key childhood vaccines under review, another step in U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's push to rewrite U.S. immunization policy. - REUTERS

Transcript

00:00U.S. vaccine advisors voted on Thursday to revise the use of one of two key childhood

00:06vaccines under review.

00:08The group recommended against allowing parents to choose the combined measles, mumps, rubella,

00:14varicella vaccine before age four.

00:16Instead, two separate vaccine shots will be given.

00:20That marks another step in a push to rewrite U.S. immunization policy by U.S. Health Secretary

00:25Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has, contrary to scientific evidence,

00:32widely promoted the idea that the combined vaccine is linked to autism.

00:36A spokesperson for Merck, which makes the combination MMRV shot, described the vote as unprecedented,

00:42adding that it had, quote, occurred in the absence of new scientific data and in contrast

00:47to years of evidence affirming the current immunization schedule.

00:51Kennedy is moving at breakneck speed to reshape federal vaccine policy.

00:55His efforts have included restricting eligibility to COVID-19 shots, ousting the country's top

01:00public health official, and boosting federal support for state vaccine exemptions.

01:05Kennedy says these moves are needed to restore trust in U.S. public health agencies.

01:10The panel also delayed until Friday a vote on a recommendation to wait to give the hepatitis

01:15B vaccine until infants reach one month of age, rather than at birth, unless the mother tests

01:21positive for the virus.

01:22The committee is also expected to vote on Friday on recommendations on who should get the COVID-19

01:28vaccine.

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