What is the ACIP?
The federal committee that guides U.S. vaccine policy is set to make key decisions Thursday and Friday regarding immunization standards for adults, children and newborns.
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The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) develops recommendations for who should receive vaccines, at what ages people should be vaccinated and the appropriate doses.
The meetings will be live streamed to the public both days.
MMRV: Measles, mumps, rubella, varicella
MMRV, responsible for protecting against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox), was up first on Thursday, followed by Hepatitis B.
MMR is given in a series of two doses with the first between 12-15 months and the second between 4-6 years.
The first dose of MMRV is given at 12-15 months and the second between 4-6 years.
The board looked at a study that claimed the MMRV was linked to higher rates of febrile seizures in children under the age of 4 around 8-10 days of vaccination. Febrile seizures is a rare side effect seen in some children after vaccination.
The board voted to remove CDC recommendations for the vaccine for kids under 4, citing claims it puts young children at greater risk of febrile seizures.
Children still have the ability to be vaccinated with the MMR vaccine by itself and receive a chickenpox vaccine separately.
A larger topic of debate was the hepatitis B vaccine.
For decades it has been given to all newborns at birth, but the board is voting on whether to delay that vaccination until one month or longer.
Without the CDC recommendations – insurers, including Medicaid -- are less likely to cover the vaccinations. Parents who want their kids to get them could be forced to pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket.
COVID-19 vaccines
The attention Friday will shift to COVID-19. The ACIP will hear presentations on the updated vaccine’s effectiveness and safety, before weighing who should be able to access the latest shots this fall.
Past meetings have sparked debate over whether COVID recommendations should apply to all adults or only be targeted toward older and higher-risk groups.
The September meeting comes as North Carolina families face hurdles finding the COVID-19 vaccine, even for at-risk populations.
Votes determine how much you pay for vaccines
The decisions the ACIP makes hold a lot of weight with insurance providers, and ultimately the price families pay at a pharmacy or doctor’s office.
If the ACIP votes to no longer recommend a vaccination (such as MMRV, Hepatitis B, or COVID-19) then the vaccines would not be covered under the Vaccines for Children Program (VFC). The VFC provides vaccinations for children for those unable to afford them.
Vaccinations can cost hundreds of dollars for those without coverage.
Children covered by Medicaid, as well as other insurance providers, will also be affected under current guidelines.
Parents in these situations wishing to opt for the four-in-one MMRV vaccination, Hepatitis B, or COVID-19 would be left footing the bill.
Vote delayed by turnover at the CDC
The timing of this year’s event is unusual with the committee usually voting on these recommendations months earlier in June. The sudden removal of all 17 members of the CDC’s independent vaccine advisory committee, including Noel Brewer with UNC Gillings School of Public Health, delayed the meeting.
Health Secretary Robert. F. Kennedy Jr. stated at the time the members were removed due to 97% of the committee having conflicts of interest. Research published in the Journal of American Medicine in August disputed the claims, finding conflicts of interest among the ACIP prior to the June firings were the lowest in years.