An influential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) committee has announced new recommendations for the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (MMRV) vaccine.
The members of the committee, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), was recently changed under the leadership of Department of Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. All 17 previous members were removed and then replaced with a new group, which includes several prominent anti-vaccine advocates.
As of Thursday at 5:30 p.m. ET, the committee has so far voted on only the MMRV vaccine, CBS reported. In a vote of 7 to 3, with one abstention, the members voted to say that the combined MMRV vaccine is not recommended before age 4. Instead, they are recommending that this age group be given the MMR shot — which guards against measles, mumps and rubella — and the varicella shot, which protects against chickenpox, as two separate injections.
This latter option — known by the shorthand MMR+V — was already the option recommended for kids under 4. It’s just that the ACIP is moving to take the MMRV option off the table for many children.
Previously, the CDC’s recommendations stated that, at 12 to 15 months old, children can either get one MMRV shot or one MMR shot along with the chickenpox vaccine. The MMRV shot comes with a slightly higher risk of febrile seizures in 12- to 15-month-olds, compared with getting the MMR and varicella vaccines separately, so the latter option is preferred and recommended for that age group.
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However, the previous guidelines allowed caregivers to choose to give their kids the MMRV shot. They might opt for that if they wanted to reduce the number of total shots given at their child’s appointment, for instance. Doctors helped caregivers weigh the risks and benefits of the two options. Although scary for kids and their caregivers, febrile seizures are fairly rare, typically harmless and quick to resolve, and the MMRV raises the risk of the events by a small degree.
Following their first dose of either the MMRV or the MMR+V, kids get a second dose at age 4 to 6. At that age, both options come equally recommended, so it mostly comes down to preference and availability.
At today’s ACIP meeting, some experts argued that recommending only the MMR+V option for kids 12 to 15 months old takes away a choice from caregivers, and could also have implications for how government insurers cover the shots, CBS reported. Others noted that the increased seizure risk is small, has been known about for nearly 20 years, and is discussed with caregivers as a standard of care. Presenters at the meeting also noted that, currently, about 85% of caregivers opt for MMR+V for their kids, while 15% choose the MMRV option, independent health journalist Liz Szabo reported.
The ACIP’s recommendations are important in part because they determine which shots are included under the Vaccines for Children program, for which about half of children in the U.S. are eligible. Kids covered by the program include those who are uninsured and underinsured; on or eligible for Medicaid; or are American Indian or Alaska Native.
The committee’s recommendations must be reviewed and approved by the CDC director to become official guidance, but the director most often approves the recommendations. Assuming this new recommendation gets approved, the MMRV shot would no longer be covered for kids under 4 in the Vaccines for Children program.
Meanwhile, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a trade group of private insurers, announced in a statement on Sept. 16 that insurers would continue to cover vaccines that were recommended as of Sept. 1, 2025, until at least the end of 2026.
The ACIP also discussed the hepatitis B vaccine today but will vote on their recommendation changes tomorrow (Sept. 19). The committee plans to both discuss and vote on the COVID-19 vaccine recommendations Friday.
Following leadership changes at HHS and CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued its own recommended child and teen immunization schedule and said it would not endorse the recommendations of the CDC.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.
