RFK Jr.’s hand-selected vaccine panel weakens Covid shot suggestions

A vaccine advisory board, comprised of anti-vaccine advocates hand-picked by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted in favor of weakening Covid-19 vaccine recommendations on Friday, saying it should be a “individual” decision.

The panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, said those 6 months and older should decide whether or not to get vaccines on a “shared clinical decision-making” basis.

At the same time, the group voted to emphasize the benefits of Covid-19 vaccines for those at risk of severe illness.

Until now, yearly Covid-19 vaccines were recommended and provided to any American 6 months and older to prevent severe illness. The vaccines had been a point of contention for some skeptics due to their potential side effects for a small portion of the population, but studies had shown that the vaccines are largely safe and effective.

But the new recommendations could make it more difficult for adults in some states, which closely adhere to CDC guidelines, to obtain Covid-19 vaccines.

The recommendations are not final until the Acting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director, Jim O’Neill, approves them. O’Neill took over as acting head of the CDC last month after Kennedy ousted Susan Monarez.

AHIP, a trade association of health insurance companies that offers employer-provided coverage through Medicare Advantage, Medicaid managed care, and individual markets, had said it would cover all immunizations that the vaccine panel recommended as of September 1.

AHIP provides coverage to more than 200 million Americans.

This is a breaking news story, more follows…

Source: independent.co.uk