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Kennedy removed four members of the federal advisory panel that oversees the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program in what is seen as an early step to remake the program; the FDA has requested that flu vaccine manufacturers update their labels to include a warning on febrile seizures.

The new CDC recommended childhood immunization schedule has increased division in U.S. vaccine policy, with many states rejecting the new guidelines and instead following AAP’s recommended schedule; the new childhood schedule may lay the groundwork for Kennedy to overhaul the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), which has been a longstanding priority for Secretary Kennedy and his allies.

The CDC announced an updated childhood vaccine schedule that recommends all children be vaccinated against 11 diseases—down from 17—while shifting other vaccines to high-risk groups or shared clinical decision-making recommendations; CMS removed Medicaid reporting requirements related to vaccination status, which will impact ability to track vaccination gaps and prevent outbreaks.

The year included several leadership changes across federal health agencies with responsibility for vaccine oversight, including the confirmation of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya; the period also saw leadership turnover, including the departure and return of CDER Director Dr. Vinay Prasad and the removal of CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez after approximately one month in the role.

Although the FDA has expanded its investigation into the Covid vaccine, the agency does not plan to add a boxed warning to the shot; new research expands understanding of Covid vaccination and underscores its value.

At last week’s meeting, ACIP (the federal vaccine advisory committee) voted to change its longstanding recommendation that all children receive the hepatitis B vaccination at birth; for children born to mothers who test negative for hepatitis B, the committee now recommends parents consult with their doctor regarding vaccination—vaccination at birth is still recommended for all children born to mothers who test positive for the infection or whose status is unknown.

In a leaked memo, the FDA’s Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) claimed that the Covid vaccine caused child deaths, raising concerns among experts; evidence to support this claim has not yet been shared; during the Thursday-Friday meeting, ACIP is expected to consider whether to delay the recommended hepatitis B birth dose—an independent review found this would offer no increase in safety or protection.

Under HHS Secretary Kennedy’s direction, the CDC changed language on its Autism and Vaccines webpage to imply a potential link between infant vaccines and autism; the move directly contradicts decades of scientific evidence, including analyses involving millions of children across the globe.

At the December meeting, ACIP—the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel—will revisit their discussion of delaying the hepatitis B vaccine, which is currently recommended for all infants at birth; ACIP is also set to discuss vaccine ingredients, likely including aluminum, which is used in many routine vaccines to boost immune response.

Canada and the entire Americas region lose measles elimination status following a year-long outbreak—the US could soon follow; leading medical organizations file an updated lawsuit against Kennedy over his overhaul of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel and its subsequent policy decisions.