RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine panel realizes it has no idea what it's doing, skips vote

"The second day of a two-day meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices-a panel currently made up of federal vaccine advisors hand-selected by anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. -is off to a dramatic start, with the advisors seemingly realizing they have no idea what they're doing. The inexperienced, questionably qualified group that has espoused anti-vaccine rhetoric started its second day of deliberations by reversing a vote taken the previous day on federal coverage for the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine."

"Yesterday, the group voted to restrict access to MMRV, stripping recommendations for its use in children under age 4. While that decision was based on no new data, it passed with majority support of 8-3 (with one abstention). But puzzlingly, they then voted to uphold access and coverage of MMRV vaccines for children under age 4 if they receive free vaccines through the federal Vaccines For Children program, which covers about half of American children, mostly low-income."

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, currently composed of federal vaccine advisors hand-selected by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., reversed a prior vote restricting MMRV vaccines for children under four and then voted to maintain MMRV access for children receiving free vaccines through the federal Vaccines For Children program. That contradictory action suggested alleged safety concerns did not apply to low-income children and created confusion because VFC coverage typically aligns with committee recommendations. The committee later retook the vote and decided 9-0 with three abstentions to align VFC coverage with the MMRV restriction. The committee subsequently moved to consider removing the universally recommended newborn hepatitis B vaccine dose.

Read at Ars Technica