Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s dismissal of a board of 17 non-partisan members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory panel could impact vaccine availability, local officials said.
That depends on if Kennedy would appoint new members to the board, and if those members share his views on vaccine safety and efficacy, officials in Cleveland and Summit County said.
Richard Stewart, a spokesperson for Cleveland's Department of Public Health, said the panel provides recommendations, which insurance companies and Medicaid use to determine whether they will cover certain vaccines. Officials say if insurers stop paying for vaccines, some people would not be able to get them.
"It's obvious how important (the panel is) when it comes to when people get vaccines, whether they get vaccines and whether Medicaid covers the vaccine," Stewart said. "We just hope that whoever replaces those who were dismissed are properly credentialed."
The panel reviews data on vaccine safety and efficacy and submits its recommendations to the CDC, which then issues guidance to local health departments.
Stewart said in the future, his department may turn to the American Academy of Pediatrics, which issues vaccine recommendations to pediatricians for guidance on vaccines it administers at its clinics.
Erika Sobolewski, medical director of Summit County Public, said it remains to be seen where the CDC will stand on vaccine guidance.
"I think how the secretary determines to restructure the Health and Human Services, and CDC in particular, (will be the determiner on vaccine guidance)," she said.
Sobolewski said if insurers change their coverage of vaccines due to new guidance from the CDC panel, Summit County Public Health will work to cover the cost of the vaccines, so that those who want them may access them.
Christopher Barker, health commissioner of Summit County Public Health, said going forward, the county will collaborate with local stakeholders to discuss how they will factor in state and national vaccine guidance.
