Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new vaccine panel is set to discuss new measles shots for children alongside other medical injections.
The advisers are looking into recommendations for flu vaccines that contain the preservative thimerosal. The development comes as Kennedy, who has a history of being a vaccine skeptic, wrote a book in 2014 claiming that the compound, contrary to scientific evidence, causes brain damage.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s New Vaccine Panel
Furthermore, Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly promoted the idea that vaccines that combine shots against various diseases, such as measles, mumps, and rubella, are linked to autism. However, repeated scientific studies have disproven such claims.
Since the Republican took on the role of the top U.S. health official under President Donald Trump's administration, he has made various changes to vaccine policies for the American public.
The new panel, which is known as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP), is set to convene on June 25 and 26. The group will vote on the safety of flu shots and talk about proposed recommendations for use of the combined MMRV vaccine for kids younger than five years, according to Reuters.
Read more: HHS Looks To Stop Recommendation of Routine COVID Vaccine for Children, Teens, Pregnant Women
It was originally believed that the seasonal flu was supposed to be included in the meeting's agenda but the topics of thimerosal and the MMRV were a surprise. Additionally, the agenda did not specify who would be responsible for presenting data on the latter two subjects.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also declined to comment on the record regarding why topics were suddenly added to the meeting agenda or who would be making presentations.
Questionable Meeting Agenda
Vaccine law expert at UC Law San Francisco, Dorit Reiss, said that there was no clear reason why thimerosal is up for a vote or discussion. She argued that this could be for the objective of repeating an anti-vaccine trope that the data does not support that the compound is harmful, Investing reported.
Reiss noted that the reason for discussing MMRV is also not explained, adding that the presenter is not yet named is something to be concerned about. The expert noted that the fact there is no vote on COVID-19 vaccines with the fall season coming up is another point of interest.
The situation comes as thimerosal was nearly removed completely from pediatric vaccines by 2001 amid concerns that it was linked to autism in children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that thimerosal-containing vaccines are safe, as per The Hill.
