The CDC vaccine panel has once again revealed its ineptitude, this time delaying a vote on whether to recommend hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns. The decision was made after the panel realized it didn't understand the topic or what it was voting on. This is not the first time the panel has bungled a key issue - in September, it tried to make a similar recommendation but ultimately threw its hands up and decided to delay the vote.
The latest debacle began with confusion over the wording of a new recommendation, which had been altered three times in just 72 hours. The presentations given by anti-vaccine activists during the meeting were particularly woeful, featuring false claims, conspiracy theories, and cherry-picked studies that offered no credible evidence. One presenter, Cynthia Nevison, claimed that the hepatitis B vaccine did not offer lifelong protection, despite her own study being misrepresented to suggest the opposite.
Other panel members made similar blunders, with one anti-vaccine activist suggesting that delayed vaccination could lead to more infections in babies - a claim that was quickly debunked by a pediatrician who had been involved in the relevant research. The meeting descended into chaos, with some panel members attacking the quality of safety data in past hepatitis B studies and making absurd claims about vaccine side effects.
The latest delay has sent shockwaves through the medical community, which is watching with growing alarm as Kennedy's allies continue to push an anti-vaccine agenda that prioritizes ideology over evidence. The decision not to recommend a birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine could have serious consequences for public health, particularly in communities where access to vaccines is already limited.
As Jason Goldman, a physician and ACIP liaison, pointed out during the meeting, "Once again, this committee fails to use the evidence to recommend framework... This meeting is completely inappropriate... The best thing you can do is adjourn the meeting and discuss vaccine issues that actually need to be taken up." It remains to be seen whether the panel will learn from its mistakes and prioritize evidence-based decision-making in the future.
The latest debacle began with confusion over the wording of a new recommendation, which had been altered three times in just 72 hours. The presentations given by anti-vaccine activists during the meeting were particularly woeful, featuring false claims, conspiracy theories, and cherry-picked studies that offered no credible evidence. One presenter, Cynthia Nevison, claimed that the hepatitis B vaccine did not offer lifelong protection, despite her own study being misrepresented to suggest the opposite.
Other panel members made similar blunders, with one anti-vaccine activist suggesting that delayed vaccination could lead to more infections in babies - a claim that was quickly debunked by a pediatrician who had been involved in the relevant research. The meeting descended into chaos, with some panel members attacking the quality of safety data in past hepatitis B studies and making absurd claims about vaccine side effects.
The latest delay has sent shockwaves through the medical community, which is watching with growing alarm as Kennedy's allies continue to push an anti-vaccine agenda that prioritizes ideology over evidence. The decision not to recommend a birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine could have serious consequences for public health, particularly in communities where access to vaccines is already limited.
As Jason Goldman, a physician and ACIP liaison, pointed out during the meeting, "Once again, this committee fails to use the evidence to recommend framework... This meeting is completely inappropriate... The best thing you can do is adjourn the meeting and discuss vaccine issues that actually need to be taken up." It remains to be seen whether the panel will learn from its mistakes and prioritize evidence-based decision-making in the future.
! They can't even get a simple vote right? First, they delay it because they don't understand what's going on, and now they're just delaying again because of all the drama that went down during the meeting. It's like, come on guys, focus on the science! 
The fact that they let anti-vax activists spout false info and cherry-pick studies is just wild. And don't even get me started on the cherry-picked study by Cynthia Nevison... I mean, who does that? 
It's not like it's hard to find credible research on something as well-documented as a vaccine's efficacy. Anyway, this delay is super worrying for public health, especially in communities where vaccines are already scarce. Fingers crossed they learn from their mistakes and get it together soon 
- spreading false claims and conspiracy theories like it's nobodies business 
.
, especially in communities where access to vaccines is already limited 
. It's not just the hepatitis B vaccine either... we've seen them mess up on other things too 
. I remember when they tried to make a similar recommendation last September and ended up throwing their hands up in frustration 
.
. The pediatrician who debunked those absurd claims about vaccine side effects was spot on 
.
this is getting out of hand! how can a bunch of experts in their field just not understand something as basic as vaccine recommendations? i mean, come on, it's hepatitis b we're talking about here - one of the most effective vaccines out there 
. and now they're delaying because some anti-vaxxers are spewing nonsense 
. it's like they're more interested in toeing the party line than doing what's best for public health 
. this is a disaster waiting to happen, especially with vulnerable populations who can't just 'opt out' of vaccinations 
. we need to get some accountability in there ASAP 
this whole thing is so frustrating, i just wish they could get their act together already... 
we need people who genuinely care about evidence-based decision-making in these positions 
it's like they dont take these things seriously at all and now its causing a big stir among medical ppl i just hope they snap outta it and make some sense soon cuz this is exactly why u dont wanna rely on people making decisions for u without 2nd thoughts
. It's like they're trying to spin a narrative that vaccines are bad for babies or something 
. Newsflash: vaccines save lives! 
. We need these experts to prioritize public health over ideology and get it together! 
. The medical community is right to be alarmed about this delay... what's next? Are they gonna recommend flat-earth medicine too? 
and those anti-vaxxers just came in and totally blew it with their fake claims and conspiracy theories ugh why do some people gotta spread misinformation like that? 
i mean, come on, how do you not understand a basic topic like hepatitis b? 
it's like, guys get some facts straight before you start making recommendations 
and for real, what is with all the changes to the wording of the new recommendation? 3 times in 72 hours? that's just ridiculous 
this CDC vaccine panel is a total hot mess 
, especially with communities already struggling to access vaccines 
. And those anti-vaccine activists? More like crackpots 
, spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories left and right 
. It's time for the CDC to get its act together and prioritize evidence-based decision-making 
anyway, i just wanna say that pediatricians and doctors in general are doing an amazing job keeping us safe and healthy, let's give it up for them 
my heart is literally breaking seeing all these vaccine-hesitant folks out there 
. Can we learn from these mistakes? Absolutely! Will we learn? Time will tell 