New agenda for CDC vaccine committee raises eyebrows/Pharma Letter

with my educated comments

A reshaped agenda for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine advisory committee meeting on June 25–26 signals a departure from the initial vaccine slate. New appointees named by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr dismantled the previous committee structure two days after dismissing all 17 members.

I don’t know what that last sentence means, but I don’t think the appointees had any power to dismantle anything before their committee has even met.—Nass

The two-day meeting will cover COVID‑19, chikungunya, anthrax and maternal/pediatric RSV vaccines, including Merck’s (NYSE: MRK) Enflonsia (clesrovimab‑cfor) and Sanofi (Euronext: SAN) and AstraZeneca’s (LSE :AZN) Beyfortus (nirsevimab‑alip).

However, presentations and votes on meningococcal, pneumococcal, cytomegalovirus, Lyme and HPV vaccines have been dropped.

Of coure votes have been dropped, since the current committee members have not heard any presentations on them and there is much catching up to do. And none of these vaccines urgently needs a license. Lyme is epidemic, but the last Lyme vaccine to come on the market 25 years ago was a disaster, and was rapidly taken off the market for causing arthritis and other symptoms in recipients. Any future Lyme vaccine will have to meet a high safety bar.—Nass

Notably, although flu vaccines remain on the agenda, there’s a new, separate item and vote specifically on thimerosal-containing influenza shots. Another new addition is a discussion and recommendation session on measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine use in children under five.

What a good idea. Why are we continuing to use thimerosal, which is composed of 50% mercury, in multidose vials but not single dose vials of several flu vaccines? Why is it being used at all, since if a mercury containing vaccine is not injected, it must be disposed of as hazardous waste?—Nass

As far as the MMR and MMRV vaccines, it is well established that the older the baby or toddler is when you give it, the higher efficacy and lower risk of severe neurological reactions. I have been appalled that babies as young as 6 months are receiving the vaccine in states where there is an outbreak, when it will give very questionable immunity to measles. Why not give just the measles component if there is an outbreak when a baby is younger than the recommended age for vaccination? But the CDC encouraged manufacturers not to make single doses available. Perhaps that can change now.

Ten years ago I wrote about the problem of giving the MMR too early, below. I would delay it as long as possible and get it before kindergarten, if the child is unlikely to be exposed.

https://anthraxvaccine.blogspot.com/2015/04/too-early-measles-vaccinations-could.html