RFK Jr. may upend how vaccine recommendations are categorized
There are currently 3 categories. Without reason, RFK Jr. is considering changes.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health Secretary, is contemplating a potential overhaul of how vaccine recommendations are categorized by the US health department. This move may result in reassessing the terminology used for vaccinations that are presently classified as routine or universal. The new designations could be less definitive or more conditional, such as "recommended with qualification" or "recommended based on shared clinical decision-making."
Kennedy has not yet implemented any new rules or recommendations for these categories. However, he has outlined his thoughts and possibilities in a Request for Information (RFI) published online on Friday and in the Federal Register on Monday. The 10-page document poses questions about the existing categories and invites public input on proposed changes or replacements.
The deadline for commenting on the questions and ideas is September 20. At present, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), guided by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), grants three categories of vaccination recommendations. These categories are: routine, otherwise considered universal, risk-based recommendations, and shared clinical decision-making (SCDM) recommendations.
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