Next week, the main vaccine advisory panel, recently reshaped by Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will meet to vote on certain vaccine ingredients that have been wrongly associated with autism. This marks the initial gathering of the Advisory Committee on Vaccination Practices (ACIP) after Kennedy dismissed all 17 previous members, appointing eight new ones in their place.
According to the draft agenda, the ACIP will examine issues that have been discussed by scientists and public health experts for a while now, particularly the use of measles vaccines in kids under five.
ACIP plays a significant role in recommending vaccines for children and adults, based on a review of safety data. If ACIP endorses a vaccine, it typically must be covered by insurance.
Additionally, the committee will address recommendations regarding the flu vaccine, specifically concerning the inclusion of thimerosal.
Kennedy has been a long-time proponent of banning thimerosal, a widely utilized preservative in various biological and pharmaceutical products, including many vaccines. In a book he published in 2014, he claimed that thimerosal was “toxic to brain tissue” and linked to autism.
This mercury-containing compound has been used in multidose vaccine vials to combat harmful bacteria, but the CDC notes that its use has been significantly reduced as manufacturers have transitioned to single-use vials that contain little or no thimerosal.
By 2001, most pediatric vaccines had eliminated thimerosal due to apprehensions about its possible connection to autism. However, numerous studies have found no supporting evidence for this link.
The CDC states, “A strong body of peer-reviewed scientific research from the U.S. and other countries supports the safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines.”
Moreover, the CDC notes that even after thimerosal was largely removed from pediatric vaccines, autism rates continued to rise, contrary to what one might expect if thimerosal did indeed cause autism.
Currently, thimerosal is still found in three flu vaccines aimed at adults, as noted by the Food and Drug Administration.
What the panel will cover regarding measles, mumps, rubella, and water cell vaccines (MMRV) remains unclear.
The CDC’s current pediatric vaccination schedule calls for two doses: one at 12-15 months and another at 4-6 years. The first dose is expected to be the MMR vaccine rather than the MMRV, though both have been part of the schedule for years.
Interestingly, the agenda has been trimmed from earlier plans, with the panel no longer set to vote on Covid-19 vaccines or those for HPV and meningococcal diseases.
Just last month, Kennedy altered the CDC’s Covid-19 vaccine guidelines without a vote from the panel.
