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Dr. Molly O’Shea notices growing skepticism about vaccines at her two clinics michigan The pediatric office says this week’s unprecedented and confusing changes to federal vaccine guidelines will only make things worse.
One of her offices is located in democracy She’s seeing more parents choosing alternative schedules that spread out filming. another is in a republican Some parents have stopped vaccinating their children altogether.
She and other doctors worry that the new recommendations and associated terminology will further fuel vaccine hesitancy, create challenges for pediatricians and parents, make it harder for children to get vaccinated, and ultimately lead to more illness and death.
The biggest change is to discontinue blanket recommendations for six diseases and recommend the vaccines only to high-risk children, or through what’s called “shared clinical decision-making” with health care providers.
Experts say the statement is confusing and dangerous: “It sends a message to parents that only a very small number of people actually need the vaccine,” O’Shea said. “It is creating an environment where there is a sense of uncertainty about the value, necessity or importance of vaccines in this category.”
Announcing the changes, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who helped lead the anti-vaccination movement for years, said they would better align the U.S. with other countries “while enhancing transparency and informed consent.”
But doctors say they are sowing doubt — the vaccines have been extensively studied and shown to be safe and effective in protecting children from serious illness — at a time when childhood vaccination rates are already declining and some of these infectious diseases are spreading.
Friday, American Academy of Pediatrics More than 200 medical, public health and patient advocacy groups sent a letter to Congress discussing the new childhood immunization schedule.
“We urge you to investigate why the schedule was changed, why reliable scientific evidence was ignored, and why the committee responsible for providing immunization recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services did not discuss the schedule changes during public meetings,” they wrote.
Many people don’t know what “shared decision-making” means
O’Shea said she and other pediatricians discuss vaccines with parents at every visit. But that’s not necessarily “shared clinical decision-making,” which has a specific definition.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices states on its website: “Unlike routine, catch-up, and risk-based recommendations, shared clinical decision-making vaccinations are not recommended for everyone in a specific age group or for everyone in an identifiable risk group. Instead, shared clinical decision-making recommendations are individual-based and informed by a decision-making process between the health care provider and the patient or parent/guardian.”
In this case, health care providers include primary care physicians, specialists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and pharmacists.
Two surveys conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center last year showed that many people don’t fully understand the concept, which emerged last year when the federal government changed its recommendations about COVID-19 vaccinations.
Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults know that one implication behind shared decision-making is that “getting vaccinated may not be a good idea for everyone, but it will benefit some people.” Although pharmacists often administer vaccines, only about one-third of pharmacists are considered health care providers to talk to during the process.
As of this week, vaccines against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rotavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza and meningococcal disease are no longer generally recommended for children. RSV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and meningococcal vaccines are recommended for certain high-risk groups; influenza, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and meningococcal vaccines are all recommended through shared decision-making—just like the COVID-19 vaccine, although this change was made last year.
Dr. Steven Abelowitz received letters from six parents shortly after Monday’s federal announcement. “This caused concern for us, but more importantly, concern and confusion for parents with children, especially young children,” said Abelowitz, founder of Ocean Pediatrics in Orange County, California.
Although the federal recommendations are not mandatory — states have the authority to require schoolchildren to be vaccinated — they could affect how easily children can get vaccinated if doctors choose to follow them.
O’Shea said that under the new guidance, parents seeking shots in the shared decision-making category may no longer bring their children to express, vaccine-only appointments with staff. They will sit down with their health care providers to discuss the vaccine. It can be more difficult to run a flu clinic, where parents drive in and children get shots without seeing a doctor.
Stay the course when challenges mount
Still, doctors say they won’t let the changes stop them from helping children get the vaccines they need. Leading medical groups stand by previous vaccine recommendations. So do many parents.
Among them is Megan Landry, whose 4-year-old son, Zackary, is one of O’Shea’s patients.
“As a parent, I have a responsibility to protect the health and well-being of my children,” she said. “vaccine is a very effective and well-researched method. “
She plans to continue the same conversation with O’Shea before vaccinating Zachary.
“Relying on evidence and trustworthy medical guidance really helps me make these decisions,” she said. “For me, it’s not just a personal choice for my son, but a way to contribute to everyone’s health.”
But for other families, confidence in the vaccines is waning as trust in science erodes. O’Shea lamented that parents are getting the message that they can’t trust medical experts.
“If I were taking my car to a repair shop, I wouldn’t do my own research ahead of time,” she said. “I went to people I trusted and I trusted them to tell me what was going on.”
Abelowitz, the California doctor, likened the federal government’s latest move to pouring gasoline on an already burning fire of distrust.
“We’re worried the fire will get out of control,” he said. “We’ve seen measles and whooping cough lead to increased hospitalizations and even increased deaths. So, it seems to me and my colleagues that we’re essentially setting back decades.”
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The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Associated Press is solely responsible for all content.