A key US vaccine advisory committee has voted to stop recommending all adults get the Covid-19 vaccine, which has until now been officially approved for most Americans annually since the pandemic.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) also narrowly voted against advocating prescriptions for the Covid vaccine.
In two days of meetings, ACIP changed its recommendations on the combined MMRV vaccine and delayed plans for a vote on the hepatitis B vaccine.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine sceptic, fired all 17 members of the committee in June and handpicked their successors, sparking uproar in the medical community.
The panel spent time debating the Covid-19 vaccine, which had been routinely recommended like the yearly flu jab. ACIP has abandoned broad support for recommending the jab, including for high-risk populations like those aged 65 and older.
Instead of a blanket recommendation, adults can now choose to consult with a medical professional about vaccination.
The panel's recent decisions have raised concerns among doctors and health experts, especially regarding the ongoing debate surrounding the hepatitis B vaccine and other routine immunizations, leaving many parents confused about the future of vaccination policies.
