U.S. Vaccine Advisory Panel Revises Key Recommendations Amid Controversy

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the federal panel guiding vaccine use in the U.S., has voted to stop recommending the Covid-19 vaccine for all adults. The committee also narrowly rejected advocating prescriptions for the vaccine, marking a significant shift from previous guidance that encouraged annual vaccination for most Americans.

In other decisions, ACIP altered its guidance on the MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, varicella) vaccine, voting against the combined shot for children under four. Instead, the panel endorsed separate vaccines for MMR and varicella, a move that the American Medical Association said may confuse parents.

Plans for a vote on delaying the first hepatitis B dose for infants were also postponed. These changes come after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, dismissed all 17 prior ACIP members in June and appointed new members, prompting criticism from the medical community. ACIP’s recent decisions have fueled debate over vaccine safety, effectiveness, and public guidance.

23-09-2025