"Recommendations for several vaccines that are currently given routinely to children in the U.S.including shots for rotavirus, varicella (chickenpox), hepatitis A, meningococcal bacteria, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)could be scrapped entirely under the plans, according to CNN. Childhood vaccines collectively protect children and the U.S. population as a whole against diseases, such as measles and hepatitis B, that once sickened, hospitalized or killed hundreds or even thousands every year."
"Changing what vaccines kids get would be a terrible mistake, says Jessica Malaty Rivera, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Defend Public Health, an all-volunteer organization sponsored by a nonprofit. More children could get sick and die from preventable illnesses as a result. RSV, for example, is the leading cause of infant hospitalization, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
The U.S. plans to overhaul the childhood vaccine schedule, which could change which and when vaccines are given to children. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., secretary of health and human services, supports altering the schedule and has a history of vaccine skepticism. Recommendations for rotavirus, varicella (chickenpox), hepatitis A, meningococcal bacteria, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines could be removed. Childhood vaccines protect against diseases such as measles and hepatitis B that previously caused widespread illness and death. The U.S. recommends vaccines for 18 diseases, compared with 10 in Denmark. RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalization, causing roughly 58,000 to 80,000 hospital admissions annually among children under five.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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