A federal advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending a change to how young children receive the M-M-R-V vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox).
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 8-3 to advise against giving the combination MMRV vaccine to children under 4, citing a small risk of febrile seizures in that age group. Instead, the panel suggests that young children receive the M-M-R (measles, mumps, rubella) and varicella vaccines separately.
The panel’s recommendation is not yet final. It must be approved by the CDC director. With no permanent director currently in place, the decision could receive final approval from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics criticized the meeting, saying, “Today’s meeting of the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices promoted false claims and misguided information about vaccines as part of an unprecedented effort to limit access to routine childhood immunizations and sow fear and mistrust in vaccines.”
The group emphasized that recommendations for hepatitis B and MMRV vaccination have not changed.
During back-to-school reporting, KPRC 2’s health team noted that vaccine exemptions among Texas students have been rising in recent years, highlighting the ongoing concern for public health and immunization coverage.
The advisory panel is scheduled to meet again to discuss COVID-19 vaccines for the fall and make recommendations regarding the hepatitis B vaccine.