Listeners, today’s Public Health Alerts in the United States are focused squarely on urgent changes in vaccination policy, mounting controversy among health leaders, and growing warnings about the risk of preventable disease outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is meeting in Atlanta for a two-day session. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the previous panel and appointed new members, many of whom are vaccine skeptics, prompting heightened scrutiny from medical groups according to The Associated Press.

Votes are expected this afternoon on two major immunization topics. First, a possible rollback of the longstanding recommendation that all newborns receive hepatitis B vaccines. The American Academy of Pediatrics and public health experts emphasize that mandatory newborn hepatitis B vaccination has drastically reduced rates of liver disease among U.S. children, and they’re voicing concern about any reversal of this guidance. Dr. Mysheika Roberts, health director in Columbus, Ohio, criticized the rationale for changing a policy credited with protecting millions of babies from severe illness, as reported by ABC 7 NY.

Second, the committee is reviewing recommendations for the MMRV combination shot against measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox. The new chair has suggested no longer giving this shot to children under four, citing rare cases of febrile seizures among toddlers. Pediatrician groups confirm that separate dosing for the first round remains safe and widely used, but warn that revisiting recommendations without new safety data may confuse families and risk lowering vaccine coverage.

Tomorrow, COVID-19 vaccine guidelines will be in the spotlight. The FDA recently limited updated COVID-19 boosters to seniors and those with high-risk health conditions, creating confusion for those outside those groups about their access. States such as Wisconsin are issuing executive orders to guarantee residents can still get vaccines at pharmacies even as national guidelines shift.

The changes at CDC are sparking political and scientific backlash. Dr. Susan Monarez, the recently fired CDC chief, testified in the Senate that these policy shifts, and refusal to heed established safety and efficacy data, put children at risk of deadly diseases. Monarez warned, as reported by EMS1 and STAT News, that weakened vaccine requirements could lead to a resurgence of measles and polio, diseases once considered eliminated in the U.S.

STAT News further reports that with Florida leading the way in eliminating school vaccine mandates, the country may soon see a patchwork of immunization policies. Wealthier communities may maintain vaccination rates through private mandates, but poorer groups are expected to see significant declines in coverage, with kindergarten vaccination rates in Florida dropping below the safe threshold. Measles cases have already spiked in 2025, with deaths recorded for the first time in a decade.

Separate from vaccine policy, listeners should also note the World Health Organization today is urging cost-effective solutions for non-communicable diseases and mental health, given slowed global progress and rising chronic disease rates.

Bottom line for listeners: major changes to U.S. vaccine guidelines are under review right now, with many expert groups warning of increased risks of preventable childhood diseases if longstanding protocols are rolled back or made less accessible. Families, especially in states revising school vaccine mandates, should consult their pediatricians and pay close attention to both state and CDC recommendations in the days ahead.

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