Overview

• The reconstituted ACIP voted Thursday to stop recommending the combined measles–mumps–rubella–varicella vaccine for children under four, favoring separate MMR and varicella shots after citing side‑effect risks that outside experts called minimal.
• Infectious‑disease and pediatric specialists warned the change could fuel confusion and hinder uptake, noting measles has caused three U.S. deaths in 2025, the highest toll in more than three decades.
• The committee reviewed newborn hepatitis B guidance Thursday and is scheduled to consider COVID‑19 vaccine recommendations on Friday, with further reviews, including for pregnant patients, to come.
• Chair Martin Kulldorff insisted the group is pro‑vaccine, as former health leaders and the ousted CDC director criticized the process and warned decisions risk reflecting preordained conclusions rather than evidence.
• Because insurance coverage and programs hinge on CDC/ACIP recommendations, alterations could limit affordability, prompting the American Academy of Pediatrics and several states to publish their own vaccine guidance.