Mississippi pediatricians urge fall vaccines amid federal guidance absence

Mississippi pediatricians are supporting fall vaccination recommendations issued by a coalition of leading medical organizations, as the federal vaccine advisory system remains stalled. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisory committee has not issued guidance since a federal judge ruled in March that Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. unlawfully replaced all committee members.

In August, President Donald Trump signed an executive order promoting separate childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella, despite advice from medical groups. In the absence of federal guidance, four major associations — including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Infectious Diseases Society of America — released their own vaccine recommendations Wednesday.

Mississippi pediatrician Dr. Anita Henderson, former president of the state’s American Academy of Pediatrics chapter, said all children and adults six months and older should get a flu shot this fall. She emphasized the importance of protecting infants from respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. Henderson blamed the lack of national leadership for declining childhood vaccination rates across the country.

While Mississippi has maintained high vaccination rates, eight counties fell below the 95% threshold needed to prevent measles outbreaks, according to state health data. Henderson advised parents to consult their doctors rather than social media influencers and to rely on evidence-based guidance from pediatricians.

Recommendations from the medical groups include annual flu vaccines for everyone six months and older, one-time RSV antibody shots for newborns, and COVID-19 vaccines annually for adults 19 and older, especially immunocompromised individuals. Despite recent declines, Mississippi’s overall vaccination rates remain higher than many states, but some counties continue to see gaps.

Doctors warn of serious risks associated with RSV and the flu, including long-term health complications like lung damage, asthma, organ damage, and increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. Dr. Patricia Tibbs, president of the Mississippi chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, expressed hope that the medical groups’ recommendations will influence parental decisions and prevent a resurgence of preventable diseases.

“Let us not go back to the dark ages when these vaccine-preventable illnesses were killing children,” Tibbs said.

Source: Original Article