This is how the hand-picked vaccine advisory committee from RFK Jr.

Scott Detrow, Host:

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary for Health and Human Services, has promised to change the country’s vaccine policy. And while controversial meetings in Atlanta this week vaccination consultants for the control and prevention of diseases and prevention started. Pien Huang, correspondent Pien Huang, was at her two -day meeting and is now joining us. Hello, pien.

Pien Huang, Byline: Hey, Scott.

Detrow: What changes have the consultants made?

Huang: So they voted to narrow down the recommendation for the Covid booster shot and changed in the vaccine plan for children and recommended against a combination of measles and chickenpox for small children.

And although these changes were not as drastic as some medical and public health experts, this meeting showed that these members, which Kennedy decided in June, found out how this works, and they start with an ambitious agenda that has been supported by Kennedy, which has a story of very critical leaders.

Detrow: Just let us use this messages for a moment. I am sure that a lot of people listen to or ask themselves whether I can get a pharmacy, a curriculum vitae, whatever, and a vaccine shot as if I have had the past few years?

Huang: The answer is mixed. So it is not clear in some states, yes and in other countries. And this is because the group has recommended the vaccine to each clinical decisions under so -called common clinical decisions, which means that patients with a medical provider should talk about risks and advantages before they receive one. But at this point in time, billions of Covid shots were awarded, so this type of advice would add a new hurdle.

The panel also wanted to enter what is entered into this advice. They voted to add further discussions about theoretical risks to the vaccine information sheet, and Retsef Levi, the panel member who led this discussion concentrated on things he said unknown.

(Soundbite of the archived recording)

Retsef Levi: Do we know all the answers? Have we heard satisfactory explanations from the companies and the FDA? Absolutely, no.

Huang: So that information sheet for consumers can rise from a who summarizes the most important documented side effects of the Covid vaccine -things like fever, bodyache, a rare risk of heart problems for young men -that includes a lot of speculation, who can confuse people and prevent them from being vaccinated.

Detrow: Ok, this is clearly the heading here, but I wonder what else was on the table?

Huang: So there was a suggestion to recommend that states require regulations for covid vaccines, which would make it much more difficult for patients. And after an charged discussion about it, it was defeated.

And the committee has also submitted a proposal to change the hepatitis -B vaccination plan for babies. Now some members said that the current guideline, which recommends a shot right after birth, worked well, and they saw no reason to change it.

Now there was some confusion, and it sometimes seemed that the members did not seem fully understood how their voices would affect politics and reporting.

Shorter: At that time these voices have an impact? What do you influence?

Huang: The recommendations of this group form the basis for which vaccines are covered by health insurance or subsidized by federal programs, and an example of how this works is the view of the other coordination that they have taken over against the MMRV vaccine. This is a combination for measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.

And this vaccine consists of a slightly higher risk of causing fever that can lead to seizures in children under four years. Children generally recover pretty quickly from them. However, you can also get the same protection because you get the MMR and the Windpox shot separately so that most children get it.

But up to 15% of the parents questions about the combination shot, and here is the reason why, according to pediatrician Cody Meissner, the only member who previously served in this panel is.

(Soundbite of the archived recording)

Cody Meissner: Some parents do not want to give two doses of a vaccine if they can maintain one and receive the same degree on cover. Why do we take this option away?

Huang: Despite Meissner’s objections, the committee voted to no longer give them to children under the age of four, and although this recommendation appears a low change, this can create that Medicaid, the pediatric health insurance program and the program for the children’s program for children for this age group no longer cover.

Delicious: I mean, is the top line of all of this that all of these guidelines become much more confusing?

Huang: Yes. I mean there will be many different people who say different things. So many states have started to do their own thing. About a dozen states led by Democrats are taking off their trust in this committee, and some medical groups also break up with this committee and give their own recommendations.

Cutting: This is NPR Health Correspondent Pien Huang. Thank you.

Huang: like to happen, Scott.

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