CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee Faces Crucial Decision on COVID-19 Guidelines

The U.S. CDC's vaccine advisory committee is set to convene on March 18 and 19 to deliberate and potentially vote on crucial recommendations addressing COVID-19 vaccine injuries and long COVID. The details of this meeting were disclosed in a Federal Register notice posted on Wednesday.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' decisions have historically shaped U.S. health insurance coverage and influenced state vaccination policies for schools, as well as advising physicians. After its reformation last year under U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, the panel has seen significant shifts, including the elimination of recommendations for several childhood vaccinations and reductions in mRNA vaccine research funding.

Medical organizations have responded by filing lawsuits, challenging policies they argue will decrease vaccination rates. This month, prominent U.S. medical groups sought a federal injunction to prevent the implementation of new guidelines reducing children’s routine vaccines and to block the next meeting of Kennedy's vaccine advisory panel from taking place.