Welcoming CDC director Jim O'Neal is calling on vaccine makers to split up the combined MMR vaccine. In a post on X yesterday, O'Neal endorsed President Trump's earlier call to split the measles, MS, and Reubella vaccine into three separate injections. The post came just hours after O'Neal signed off on a vaccine advisory panel recommendation against getting the vaccine before the age of four.Let's bring in NBC News medical contributor Dr. . Vin Gupta. Uh so doctor, what would be the problem with this sugge ...

Vaccine Policy & Public Health - A federal panel's new rules for COVID shots could reduce vaccine availability [1] - The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ASIP) recommended that individuals under 65 consult a doctor before receiving the COVID vaccine, differing from previous recommendations for all Americans aged 6 months and older [2] - The panel also voted to restrict the use of the MMRV vaccine, advising against its use for children under four years old [2][3] - Childhood vaccination rates have been declining, leading to nearly 1,500 documented measles cases in the US this year, the highest level in over 25 years [10] Historical Context & Impact of Vaccines - In 1900, the US life expectancy was 473%, significantly lower than today's 784% due to infant and child mortality from preventable diseases [5][6] - Before the introduction of the measles vaccine in the early 1960s, the US saw 3 to 4 million measles cases annually, with 400 to 500 deaths [8] - Measles deaths declined by 90% in the decade after the introduction of measles vaccines, and measles was considered eliminated in the US in 2000 [9] - Vaccines are considered a top innovation for contributing to health, longevity, and overall human well-being [14] Skepticism vs Pseudoscience & Public Trust - The discussion around vaccines is not solely scientific, as panels are now populated with vaccine critics, some of whom have profited from that position [16] - It's important to distinguish legitimate skepticism, which is part of science, from pseudoscience, as public trust and polarization are key issues [17][19] - Herd immunity is crucial, and decreased vaccination rates can affect many people [21][22] - Vaccination is a public health issue and a shared responsibility for the safety and health of the community [22][23]

Vaccine Advisory Panel Decisions - The CDC vaccine advisory panel has already voted against recommending the combined measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox vaccine for children under four, suggesting separate administration of the chickenpox vaccine [1] - The panel delayed a decision on the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns [1][18] COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations - The panel is considering changing the current recommendation that individuals 6 months and older receive the COVID-19 vaccine [4] - The proposed new recommendation suggests vaccination decisions should be based on individual or shared clinical decision-making, particularly for those under 64 [4] - A recommendation is being considered to require prescriptions for COVID-19 vaccines at the state and local levels [5] Concerns and Barriers to Vaccination - Medical groups have expressed concerns that requiring prescriptions for COVID-19 vaccines would create unnecessary barriers to vaccination and may not effectively target high-risk populations [6][7] - Concerns exist regarding the affordability of requiring prescriptions and potential confusion for pharmacies [7] - There are worries that these hurdles could lead to increased preventable hospitalizations and deaths if high-risk individuals are unable to get vaccinated against COVID-19 [20] Insurance Coverage - American health insurance plans intend to cover vaccines based on the prior schedule, but are undergoing their own process to determine future coverage [10] - The link between ACIP recommendations and insurance coverage needs refinement due to ACIP's perceived dysfunction [10] MMRV Vaccine Clarification - The panel's recommendation is not to avoid the MMRV vaccine, but to administer it separately [11] - Only about 15% of parents were administering the four-strain vaccine for the first dose due to the risk of febrile seizures [12] - The American Academy of Pediatrics has its own science-based immunization schedule, which most pediatricians are expected to follow [16]

We are getting a decision now out of this highstakes CDC meeting to change guidelines for the MMR vaccine, measles, mumps, reubella for kids. Basically saying they should all be separate, not one combined shot. You see the meeting happening there.The advisory committee made up of all new members handpicked by the health secretary meeting at CDC headquarters just months after Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. . fired everybody who used to sit on that panel.And that was controversial. That remains controversial ...

Other news now, a lot to get to. The former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Susan Manarez, testified in a closely watched hearing yesterday, just weeks after her firing last month by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. NBC News correspondent Anne Thompson reports. I believe preventable diseases will return and I believe that we will have our children harmed for things that we know they do not need to be harmed by. Polio, measles, dtheria, whooping cough.The stakes laid bare by fired ...

Public Health & Policy Concerns - The hearing focuses on potential pressure to pursue anti-vaccine policies and defy scientific evidence, which could significantly impact public health [3] - Concerns exist regarding the Secretary of Health and Human Services potentially directing the approval of vaccines without scientific evidence and dismissing career officials responsible for vaccine policy [7][8] - The Secretary of Health and Human Services is accused of wanting data to support the claim that measles vaccine causes blindness and deafness, despite evidence to the contrary [11] - There are worries that the advisory committee on immunization practices will revisit critical vaccines for kids, potentially overstating risks, understating benefits, and cherry-picking evidence [13] - The vaccine committee has been replaced with known critics of vaccines and operates under decreased transparency with a willful refusal to follow established scientific and decision-making procedures [23] Political Implications - Senator Cassidy, who called for the hearing, faces a primary challenge and concerns that he might be stirring up controversy [4][5] - Senator Cassidy previously insisted that the Secretary of Health and Human Services not change ACIP recommendations or the way ACIP is constructed, but these agreements may have been violated [17] - There is a call for Senator Cassidy to gather other Republican senators to address the President regarding the Secretary of Health and Human Services' stance on vaccines [20] Vaccine Advisory Meeting - A key advisory board meeting on vaccine panels is approaching, making the hearing even more significant [4] - The advisory committee on immunization practices will be meeting and there's a lot of efforts to prebunk what we expect is going to happen there, which is a significant revisiting of critical vaccines for kids [13] - Senator Cassidy has called for that vaccine meeting the advisory meeting to be put on hold indefinitely because or if they meet for people not to follow their guidance [15]