Ruling hurts kids
Editor, The Commercial:
Following the national Advisory Committee on Immunization’s (ACIP) vote Dec. 5 to downgrade its recommendations to protect infants from hepatitis B, the Arkansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics issued the following statement:
Arkansas pediatricians spend every day partnering with caregivers to ensure our state’s children are healthy and happy. Today’s decision to downgrade recommendations to protect all babies from hepatitis B by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) endangers the health and well-being of children in the United States, including our patients right here in Arkansas.
It also creates confusion and complications for patients, providers, health care systems and payers. The Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics calls upon the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to return to using gold-standard science to inform decisions about the recommended spacing and timing of childhood vaccines.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
We encourage all families to talk with their child’s pediatrician about vaccine concerns, and we uplift this sentiment from the American Academy of Pediatrics: “Vaccines rank among our greatest medical success stories. Thanks to vaccines, serious diseases that once made thousands sick every year and caused lifelong health issues have become rare. We cannot risk losing this progress. Together, we call on the CDC to return to its long history of promoting evidence-based information in the service of protecting the health and well-being of all Americans.”
The Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics works to improve the health and well-being of children, support the business and practice of pediatrics and elevate the voices of pediatricians across the state. For more information, visit arkansasaap.org.
Meghan Repp, MD, President, Arkansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics