North Texas vaccine experts react to federal advisory council’s recommendation

A federal advisory council’s move to dial back vaccination guidance has local health experts closely monitoring potential impacts.

Members of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee decided to no longer recommend the MMRV vaccine — or measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine — for children under the age of 4. While they didn’t restrict access to the COVID-19 vaccine as expected, they also didn’t explicitly recommend it. 

The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which met in mid-September, makes recommendations that become a part of the CDC’s immunization schedule once approved by the director of the agency.

Vaccine experts in Tarrant County share varying opinions on the council’s updated stance. Some say it will have little to no effect while others see potential long-term negative consequences regarding the public’s trust of vaccines.

Dr. Erin Carlson, the founding director of graduate public health programs at the University of Texas at Arlington, said language used in the committee’s recommendations may have had an effect. 

The committee recommended that decisions on the COVID-19 vaccine be made with “shared clinical decision-making.” Carlson said the language may lead people to believe a physician must prescribe the vaccine, which is not true.

That recommendation, combined with the Food and Drug Administration’s prior decision to not recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for those under 65 without an underlying medical condition, may lead to people not receiving the vaccine. 

“A lot of people are not going to take what they perceive now as a necessary step to talk with the doctor,” Carlson said.

Others don’t consider the CDC committee’s decisions to have a major impact. 

Dr. Brian Byrd, the principal local health authority in Tarrant County, said he wouldn’t describe the recommendations as “confusing.” 

“The decisions that were made will work under our current pharmacy setup,” said Byrd, director for Tarrant County Public Health.

The FDA’s move not to recommend widespread use of the COVID-19 vaccine this summer was distressing, Byrd said. The FDA’s recommendations are often taken into account by the CDC’s advisory committee.

“That was concerning to us because we didn’t know if insurance companies would pay for people that were under 65 and (had) no risk factors,” Byrd said.

Byrd said the new MMRV vaccine recommendation was a significant decision based on the slightly increased chance of infants having febrile seizures after receiving the vaccine. Despite such seizures having no long-term effects, they can be a scary sight for parents, Byrd said.

Separate vaccines for MMR and varicella are still available for children, and those age 4 or older can receive the MMRV vaccine second dose.

This was the first time this version of the CDC advisory committee met. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed its previous members. Some of the members are regarded by the scientific community as being skeptical of vaccines, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The committee nearly voted to require a prescription to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. A split vote failed after the head of the committee voted against the resolution.

The committee also postponed a vote to potentially delay newborns from receiving the hepatitis B vaccine. 

Carlson said changes in how federal government health entities approach vaccines may end up decreasing vaccine usage.

“The assumption across the board in public health is this will lead us to a significant decrease in vaccination,” she said.

The committee is set to meet again Oct. 22 and 23.

Ismael M. Belkoura is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at ismael.belkoura@fortworthreport.org. 

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