A key US vaccine advisory committee has voted to stop recommending all adults get the Covid-19 vaccine, which has until now been officially approved for most Americans annually since the pandemic.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Acip) also narrowly voted against advocating prescriptions for the Covid vaccine.
In two days of meetings, Acip changed its recommendations on the combined measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (MMRV) vaccine, and delayed plans for a vote on the hepatitis B vaccine.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, fired all 17 members of the committee in June and handpicked their successors, provoking uproar in the medical community.
The panel spent Friday debating the Covid-19 vaccine, which has for the past several years been a routine recommendation, like the yearly flu jab.
Acip voted to abandon broad support for recommending the jab, including for high-risk populations, allowing them to make their own decisions after consultations with medical professionals.
In May, the federal government stopped recommending Covid-19 vaccines for healthy pregnant women and children.
During the debate, Kennedy's ally Dr. Robert Malone argued there was no evidence that the Covid vaccine prevented serious infection, while Dr. Cody Meissner argued that data confirms the jab's protective properties.
Moreover, the panel deliberated on the MMRV vaccine, ultimately endorsing separate injections for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella.
The American Medical Association, representing doctors and medical students, criticized the new MMRV guidelines as potentially confusing for parents.
The committee also delayed a vote concerning the hepatitis B vaccination for newborns, raising further doubts about its efficacy despite scientific consensus on its safety.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s approach to vaccinations has faced scrutiny since taking office in January, marked by a significant policy overhaul and controversy involving the dismissal of key health officials.
