The committee on childhood vaccines has been disbanded in the USA.

• The Committee on Childhood Vaccines has been disbanded in the USA.
• Kennedy changed the composition of the vaccine advisory committees to include skeptical experts.
• The group founded by Kennedy supported the disbanding of the panel.

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has disbanded the committee on childhood vaccines following pressure from activists who oppose vaccination. The Department of Health and Human Services announced the disbanding of the Committee on Childhood Vaccines, which was established in 1998, "to improve the safety, quality, and control of vaccines administered to American children."

The committee will provide recommendations regarding childhood vaccines, "which produce fewer serious adverse reactions than those vaccines that are currently available on the market," the agency noted. This is the latest step by Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., who is reviewing the vaccination schedule for children in the USA.

The disbanding of the panel occurred after the group "Children's Health Defense," founded by Kennedy, filed a lawsuit against his administration in April due to the failure to comply with the requirements regarding the disbanding of the committee.

The leader of "Children's Health Defense" expressed satisfaction with the news about the creation of the panel, noting that this is an important step in maintaining the law.

The committee on safe childhood vaccines was established in 1986 in accordance with the Vaccine Injury Compensation Act to provide compensation to children who suffered negative consequences from certain vaccines. HHS indicated that representatives from the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention will be included in the composition of the committee.

Since taking office, Kennedy has introduced a series of changes to the agency's vaccination policies. In June, he included all members of the federal committee of independent experts who develop CDC recommendations regarding vaccination and replaced them with new members, many of whom have skeptical attitudes toward vaccines.

Notably, following this, the new committee announced its intention to review the impact of vaccination schedules on health. In April, Kennedy also discussed the CDC recommendations regarding vaccination against COVID-19 for pregnant women and healthy children.

Tags: USA/Politics