WASHINGTON — A key U.S. vaccine advisory committee has voted to stop recommending that all adults receive annual Covid-19 vaccinations, a decision that marks a dramatic shift in federal immunization policy and adds to the growing debate over the future of pandemic-era health measures.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), also narrowly rejected recommending prescriptions for the Covid vaccine, instead leaving the choice to individuals in consultation with their doctors.
The move came during a two-day meeting in which the panel also reworked its stance on the combined measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine, and delayed a vote on hepatitis B immunization for newborns.
The changes follow a sweeping shake-up of the committee in June, when Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a longtime vaccine skeptic — dismissed all 17 members and appointed new ones. The move sparked outrage from medical experts, many of whom accused Kennedy of politicizing public health.
On Friday, ACIP members debated whether Covid-19 shots should continue to be recommended for high-risk groups, including older adults.
They ultimately voted against broad support, instead saying individuals should decide after medical consultation.
The shift builds on a May decision in which federal health officials ended blanket recommendations for vaccinating healthy pregnant women and children.
The debate exposed sharp divisions within the panel. Dr. Robert Malone, a Kennedy ally, claimed there was no evidence the vaccine prevents severe illness, while Dr. Cody Meissner, a former Food and Drug Administration adviser, countered that data shows the shots significantly reduce infection risk.
Confusion also marked the panel’s deliberations on the MMRV vaccine. On Thursday, members voted against recommending the combined jab for children under four.
By Friday, they reversed course, endorsing separate doses: one for measles, mumps, and rubella, and another for chickenpox.
The American Medical Association criticized the outcome, warning it would leave parents unsure of the best course.
The panel further postponed a decision on whether infants born to hepatitis B-negative mothers should still receive the liver virus vaccine at birth.
Although the CDC has recommended it since 1991 — a policy credited with sharply reducing infections in young people — ACIP members raised new doubts.
In June, the committee’s chairman, Dr. Martin Kulldorff, questioned whether vaccinating newborns against hepatitis B was “wise.” Scientists say the vaccine is safe and highly effective.
Kennedy’s sweeping changes at the CDC have fueled resignations and political controversy. Last month, he dismissed Susan Monarez, the agency’s deputy director, prompting a group of senior staff to quit.
In Senate testimony this week, Monarez said she was fired for refusing to approve policy changes “regardless of the scientific evidence.”
Kennedy, who took office in January, defended the dismissal, saying he did not trust Monarez. He has long cast doubt on the safety of vaccines, though during his Senate confirmation hearing he pledged not to eliminate them entirely.
Medical associations and health experts have warned that the policy shifts could erode public confidence in routine immunization programs that have dramatically reduced infectious diseases in the U.S.
