For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn

[Scooter]

Kennedy Scales Back the Number of Vaccines Recommended for Children

Federal health officials on Monday announced dramatic revisions to the slate of vaccines recommended for American children, reducing the number of diseases prevented by routine shots to 11 from 17.

Jim O’Neill, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has updated the agency’s immunization schedule to reflect the changes, effective immediately, officials said at a news briefing.

The announcement is a seismic shift in federal vaccine policy, and perhaps the most significant change yet in public health practice by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, who has long sought to reduce the number of shots American children receive.

The states, not the federal government, have the authority to mandate vaccinations. But recommendations from the C.D.C. greatly influence state regulations. Mr. Kennedy and his appointees have made other changes to the childhood vaccination schedule, but those have had smaller impact.

The new schedule circumvents the detailed and methodical evidence-based process that has underpinned vaccine recommendations in the nation for decades. Until now, a federal panel of independent advisers typically reviewed scientific data for each new vaccine, and when and how it should be administered to children.

Public health experts expressed outrage at the sweeping revisions, saying federal officials did not present evidence to support the changes or incorporate input from vaccine experts.

“The abrupt change to the entire U.S. childhood vaccine schedule is alarming, unnecessary and will endanger the health of children in the United States,” said Dr. Helen Chu, a physician and immunologist at the University of Washington in Seattle and a former member of the federal vaccine advisory committee.

Dr. Chu also took issue with the health officials’ claim that the move would increase trust in vaccines and boost immunization rates. It will do the opposite, she warned.

“Already, parents are worried about what they are hearing in the news about safety of vaccines, and this will increase confusion and decrease vaccine uptake,” Dr. Chu said.

The new schedule continues to recommend vaccines against some diseases, including measles, polio and whooping cough, for all children.

Immunization against other diseases — such as respiratory syncytial virus, the leading cause of hospitalization in American infants — will be recommended for only some high-risk groups.

But other shots, including those against rotavirus, influenza and hepatitis A, can be administered to children only after consultation with a health care provider.

It is unclear what evidence led to these decisions, said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who led the C.D.C. center that oversaw vaccine policy before he resigned in August.

“Stealth announcements of seismic changes in vaccine policy should include experts in pediatrics, infectious diseases and immunology,” Dr. Daskalakis said. “These are lacking as is scientific process and a review of the data.”

On Dec. 5, President Trump directed Mr. Kennedy to align the U.S. vaccination schedule with those of other wealthy nations, citing Denmark, Germany and Japan.

“President Trump directed us to examine how other developed nations protect their children and to take action if they are doing better,” Mr. Kennedy said in a statement.

“After an exhaustive review of the evidence, we are aligning the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule with international consensus while strengthening transparency and informed consent,” he said. “This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health.”

The new schedule reflects a collaborative effort by the health agencies under Mr. Kennedy’s purview.

In their report, officials called the United States a “global outlier among peer nations” in terms of the vaccines it recommends. But public health experts noted that with one or two exceptions, the vaccination schedule in the United States is nearly identical to those of Canada, Britain, Australia and Germany.

Japan omits some vaccines in the American schedule but includes others, like a shot against Japanese encephalitis, that are not routinely administered in the United States.

Even with the President’s endorsement, some legal experts questioned whether Mr. Kennedy had the authority unilaterally to remake the vaccine schedule.

Under a federal law called the Administrative Procedure Act, “agencies are supposed to undertake a rigorous process and ground these kinds of major policy decisions in evidence,” said Richard H. Hughes IV, a lawyer who teaches vaccine law at George Washington University.

Agencies are forbidden to act “arbitrarily and capriciously,” Mr. Hughes said. (Mr. Hughes is leading an effort to sue Mr. Kennedy and the health department over changes to Covid vaccine recommendations Mr. Kennedy announced last year.)

Health officials said that they reviewed vaccine recommendations in 20 countries, and that the new schedule reflects “consensus” over the shots considered most important.

Discussions with health officials from those nations preserved the recommendation for the shot against varicella, or chickenpox, as well as one dose against the human papillomavirus, which is credited with sharply eliminating the risk of cervical cancer among American women.

Experts have pointed out that each country’s schedule is designed to fit its population and health care realities. The childhood schedule now closely resembles that of Denmark, a country with free health care and a population about 2 percent of that of the United States.

Health officials said the changes would not affect access to the vaccines or their coverage by insurance companies.

“All vaccines currently recommended by C.D.C. will remain covered by insurance without cost sharing,” Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said in a statement.

“No family will lose access,” Dr. Oz said.

[Burning Petard]

“No family will lose access,” Dr. Oz said. Yes I remember when I had access to a vaccine against lyme Disease. I only had to pay $350 for each of a series of three shots. But I paid it, gladly. Even though latter research indicated it was a lot less than 90% effective--more like 50%. Still I had friends and a sister and two dogs that came down with the disease and I thought the price paid for just reducing the probability by 50% was worth it.

Your results may differ.

Snailgate.

[ex-khobar Andy]

I've seen post on FaceBook saying, in essence, measles is OK. We all had it when we were young and we survived.

Yes we did. Except, of course, those who did not. I had a friend who died at 13. From measles.

[Sue U]

I've seen post on FaceBook saying, in essence, measles is OK. We all had it when we were young and we survived.

Yes we did. Except, of course, those who did not. I had a friend who died at 13. From measles.

The measles vaccine was introduced in 1963 (and combined with mumps and rubella vaccines in 1971), so anyone born since the late 1950s -- more than 80% of the US population -- has almost certainly been vaccinated against measles, except for the unfortunate children of antivax whackjobs or those without access to primary care. I never had the measles; my parents had the good sense to vaccinate their kids as soon as the vaccine was available. So no, we didn't "all have the measles and survived," even excepting those who had "harmless" measles but did in fact die from it.

[Big RR]

Ihad measles and was fine; most of us in that time were. But i do recall a few kids being hospitalized for measles, and heard of a baby dying from it. Measles was a pretty serious disease.

[BoSoxGal]

Measles was a pretty serious disease.

Measles IS a very serious disease. Measles doesn’t change, which is why the vaccine is so effective. Measles is the most contagious virus in the world, and we nearly eradicated it in this country until antivaxxer madness took hold.

I would personally tar and feather that despicable scumbag Andrew Wakefield, given a chance.

[Big RR]

Measles IS a very serious disease

Indeed

[Burning Petard]

It may be my senior senility, but I 'remember' one of the effect of measles among those who do not die is that it can leave the male patient permanently sterile. A prime example of the sins of the parents visited on their sons.

snailgate.

[BoSoxGal]

It may be my senior senility, but I 'remember' one of the effect of measles among those who do not die is that it can leave the male patient permanently sterile. A prime example of the sins of the parents visited on their sons.

snailgate.

That’s mumps.

Mumps can cause infertility, primarily in post-pubertal males with mumps orchitis (inflammation of the testicles); around 30-87% of those with bilateral orchitis face infertility or subfertility, though it's less common overall. Unilateral orchitis usually doesn't cause sterility, and overall, about 13% of mumps patients experience impaired fertility, with infertility risk rising significantly if both testes are affected. In females, mumps oophoritis (ovary inflammation) is rare but can also lead to infertility or premature menopause.

For Males (Mumps Orchitis):
Risk Factor: Fertility issues are linked to orchitis, inflammation of the testicles, usually appearing a week after the parotid swelling.
Bilateral Orchitis: If both testes are affected, the risk of infertility (due to severe sperm count reduction or absence) is high, ranging from 30% to 87%.
Unilateral Orchitis: Affecting only one testicle usually causes temporary or mild sperm quality reduction, but not sterility.
Testicular Atrophy: Damage can lead to testicular shrinkage (atrophy) and disrupted sperm production, affecting up to half of patients with orchitis.

For Females (Mumps Oophoritis):
Rarity: Oophoritis (ovary inflammation) affects about 5% of post-pubertal women but rarely causes sterility.
Pregnancy Risks: Mumps during early pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.

An excellent reason for kids to get that vaccine as well.

[BoSoxGal]

Nevermind

[Burning Petard]

A check of Wiki shows nothing about measles and sterility. Thanks for the information on mumps. However, measles DOES cause blindness.

snailgate.

[BoSoxGal]

A check of Wiki shows nothing about measles and sterility. Thanks for the information on mumps. However, measles DOES cause blindness.

snailgate.

Blindness is a very bad potential outcome of measles, as is ADEM:

ACUTE DISSEMINATED ENCEPHALOMYELITIS (ADEM)
Measles can lead to Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM), a rare but serious brain inflammation causing sudden fever, headache, confusion, and seizures days to weeks after the measles rash, as the immune system overreacts to the virus. About 1 in 1,000 measles cases develop ADEM, which damages myelin, but can often be treated with steroids for a good recovery, though severe cases can be fatal or cause long-term issues like epilepsy. Vaccination is the best prevention for both measles and ADEM.

But SSPE is the very worst case scenario from measles infection:

Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare, progressive, and fatal brain disorder caused by a persistent measles virus infection, typically developing years after childhood measles. It leads to severe cognitive decline, personality changes, myoclonic jerks, seizures, and eventual dementia, coma, and death, usually within one to three years of diagnosis. Prevention through measles vaccination is key, as there is no cure, though some treatments manage symptoms.

Causes & Risk Factors
Measles Virus: SSPE results from a mutated measles virus that becomes latent in the brain after an initial infection.
Impaired Immunity: An inadequate immune response allows the virus to persist and reactivate later, causing chronic inflammation.

Vaccination Gaps: Decreased measles vaccination rates increase SSPE risk, highlighting the importance of immunization.

Stages & Symptoms
Symptoms usually appear in late childhood or adolescence and progress through stages.

Stage 1 (Early): Personality changes, mood swings, depression, poor school performance, headaches, fever.
Stage 2 (Myoclonic): Uncontrolled muscle jerks (myoclonus), seizures, vision loss, dementia, ataxia (clumsiness).
Stage 3 (Rigid): Jerking replaced by rigid, writhing movements, stupor.
Stage 4 (Vegetative): Quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs), unresponsiveness, coma, death.

Diagnosis
Diagnosis involves:
Clinical Signs: Dementia and neurological symptoms.
EEG: Characteristic periodic spikes and waves.
CSF Analysis: Elevated measles antibodies.
Neuroimaging (MRI): White matter changes or brain atrophy.

Treatment & Outlook
No Cure: SSPE is almost always fatal.
Symptomatic Management: Medications (like interferon-α, ribavirin, or newer antivirals) can slow progression for some.
Palliative Care: Focuses on managing symptoms like seizures and improving quality of life.

Prevention: Measles vaccination is the most effective prevention.

I cannot fathom the idiocy of any parent who denies their child a measles vaccine. Frankly I think it should be considered parental negligence and trigger a child protective action - one aspect of which is typically requirement for full childhood vaccines to be provided to the children under state protection.

[Burning Petard]

Never heard about the connection between measles and epilepsy. Perhaps that's why it seems to me epilepsy was much more common in my childhood than it is now. First aid instruction in Cub Scouts included handling of epileptic fits. I was not in a big grade school, (less than 100 kids in my 8th grade class) but I remember seeing grand mal siezures several times over the years on the playground and each time it was a different kid. Now, not so much. I recognize part of this is better diagnosis and treatment. I have a good friend now who could not serve in the military because of epilepsy but he has been able to get a driver's license and live a pretty normal life. I don't have the guts to ask him about his experience with childhood vaccines.

snailgate.

[BoSoxGal]

About 1/100 Americans have active epilepsy; the biggest reason we don’t see seizures so commonly as in decades past is that there are many more very good medications and therapies that prevent seizures.

I have a niece with seizure disorder; she hasn’t had any in well over a dozen years, but had a great many in early childhood and is permanently developmentally delayed by the damage then caused to her developing brain.