CDC Panel Poised to Tore Apart Decades-Old Hepatitis B Vaccination Policy, Threatening Public Health
The federal government is back in business, and with it comes a renewed push by anti-vaccination advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to dismantle the country's public health infrastructure. Early next month, a panel of outside advisors assembled by Kennedy will convene for the first time since last year's tumultuous meeting, which saw several recommendations welcomed by anti-vaxxers.
The agenda for this month's meeting includes discussing changes to childhood vaccination schedules and "contaminants" in vaccines. The focus on hepatitis B vaccine is particularly concerning, as it threatens to roll back decades-old recommendations that have saved countless lives by vaccinating infants against the virus.
Kennedy's influence over public health has been a major point of contention, with critics arguing that his anti-vaccination stance is driven by misinformation and a discredited narrative about vaccines causing autism. In fact, studies have consistently shown no link between the two, despite repeated attempts to debunk this myth.
The reformed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has issued several recommendations that align with Kennedy's views, including the removal of thimerosal from vaccines – an ingredient that has been thoroughly debunked as a contributor to autism. This decision has not only fueled concerns about vaccine safety but also eroded trust in the CDC and its partners.
In July, RFK Jr. unilaterally dismissed 17 members of the ACIP and replaced them with new advisors who share his anti-vaccination views. The resulting panel has issued several decisions that have been welcomed by anti-vaxxers, including a call to ban the MMRV vaccine for children under four.
This new development comes as the CDC is reeling from internal collapse, following RFK Jr.'s firing of former Director Susan Monarez and the subsequent resignation of senior leadership. The situation has left many wondering about the future of public health in America.
The push to undermine the hepatitis B vaccination policy threatens to have devastating consequences for public health. Hepatitis B can lead to serious liver damage, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer, with no cure available. Removing universal at-birth vaccination would likely result in a surge in cases among young children, placing vulnerable populations at risk.
It's unclear what the ACIP will vote on next month, but the potential removal of this critical policy change is a major concern. The inclusion of changes to childhood vaccination schedules on the agenda only adds to the uncertainty and alarm among public health experts and advocates.
As one senator aptly put it, "I want to make America healthy, and you don’t start by stopping recommendations that have made us substantially healthier." It's time for RFK Jr.'s influence over public health to be reined in and for science-based decision-making to take center stage.
The federal government is back in business, and with it comes a renewed push by anti-vaccination advocate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to dismantle the country's public health infrastructure. Early next month, a panel of outside advisors assembled by Kennedy will convene for the first time since last year's tumultuous meeting, which saw several recommendations welcomed by anti-vaxxers.
The agenda for this month's meeting includes discussing changes to childhood vaccination schedules and "contaminants" in vaccines. The focus on hepatitis B vaccine is particularly concerning, as it threatens to roll back decades-old recommendations that have saved countless lives by vaccinating infants against the virus.
Kennedy's influence over public health has been a major point of contention, with critics arguing that his anti-vaccination stance is driven by misinformation and a discredited narrative about vaccines causing autism. In fact, studies have consistently shown no link between the two, despite repeated attempts to debunk this myth.
The reformed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has issued several recommendations that align with Kennedy's views, including the removal of thimerosal from vaccines – an ingredient that has been thoroughly debunked as a contributor to autism. This decision has not only fueled concerns about vaccine safety but also eroded trust in the CDC and its partners.
In July, RFK Jr. unilaterally dismissed 17 members of the ACIP and replaced them with new advisors who share his anti-vaccination views. The resulting panel has issued several decisions that have been welcomed by anti-vaxxers, including a call to ban the MMRV vaccine for children under four.
This new development comes as the CDC is reeling from internal collapse, following RFK Jr.'s firing of former Director Susan Monarez and the subsequent resignation of senior leadership. The situation has left many wondering about the future of public health in America.
The push to undermine the hepatitis B vaccination policy threatens to have devastating consequences for public health. Hepatitis B can lead to serious liver damage, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer, with no cure available. Removing universal at-birth vaccination would likely result in a surge in cases among young children, placing vulnerable populations at risk.
It's unclear what the ACIP will vote on next month, but the potential removal of this critical policy change is a major concern. The inclusion of changes to childhood vaccination schedules on the agenda only adds to the uncertainty and alarm among public health experts and advocates.
As one senator aptly put it, "I want to make America healthy, and you don’t start by stopping recommendations that have made us substantially healthier." It's time for RFK Jr.'s influence over public health to be reined in and for science-based decision-making to take center stage.
the CDC is already dealing with internal issues and now we're gonna dismantle decades-old vaccine policies that have literally saved countless lives 
hepatitis B is super contagious and can cause serious liver damage if left untreated 
i'm not buying into RFK Jr's anti-vax narrative at all, it's just misinformation and a bunch of debunked conspiracy theories 
the ACIP should be focusing on science-based decisions, not fueling vaccine hesitancy 
we need to prioritize public health over personal freedom here 
can you even imagine a world where every child has to deal with liver damage or cancer from hep b?? it's like, we're playing russian roulette here and RFK jr is the one pulling the trigger 
newsflash: vaccines have been thoroughly vetted and proven safe for billions of people worldwide 
The hepatitis B vaccine has literally been proven to save thousands of lives and now it's being threatened because some people are too scared to get vaccinated. I mean, come on! Don't you guys want to protect the kids from getting liver cancer or cirrhosis? 
This is a disaster waiting to happen and I'm not buying into RFK Jr.'s narrative that vaccines cause autism – facts don't lie, doc! 
. It's like, if we don't take care of ourselves now, it'll be a disaster in the long run 
.