ACIP splits MMRV, delays HepB birth dose, narrows COVID guidance

ATLANTA — A federal vaccine advisory panel on Thursday and Friday voted to remove a combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella shot as an option for young children, postponed action on whether to delay the newborn hepatitis B dose, and signaled a narrower, individualized approach to COVID‑19 vaccination as it wrapped a contentious two‑day meeting here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that children under age 4 receive separate MMR and varicella vaccines rather than the combined MMRV product, citing a small but elevated risk of fever‑provoked seizures with the combined first dose. Accounts of the margin of the vote varied across reports, with some outlets citing an 8‑to‑3 tally and others describing a substantially larger majority with one abstention. The committee must still secure sign‑off from the acting CDC director before its guidance takes effect.

The meeting produced confusion over federal coverage for the combination vaccine. On Thursday the committee voted to preserve Vaccines for Children program coverage of MMRV, which ensures free or low‑cost vaccines for many low‑income children. After...