Interesting news article. Read online: https://thehill.com/homenews/5918591-obgyn-group-vaccine-recommendations...
Extracts and a comment from me below.
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The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ACOG) released a recommended maternal vaccine schedule Wednesday that for the first time diverges with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
ACOG recommended four vaccines be administered during pregnancy: a flu shot, a COVID-19 shot, tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap), and one to protect against respiratory syncytial virus in the developing fetus.
It also provides recommendations for additional vaccines for certain populations and risk factors, as well as vaccinations recommended during postpartum and while breastfeeding.
The new schedule is endorsed by 13 medical societies and health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians, the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, and the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
“Changing national recommendations coupled with rampant vaccine misinformation are resulting in confusion for both patients and health care professionals,” ACOG president Camille Clare said in a statement. “It is incredibly important for the public to have access to reliable, evidence-based information on maternal immunizations from a trusted source.”
The CDC, following the lead of vaccine skeptic and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., overhauled its maternal vaccine schedule last year. Routine COVID-19 and seasonal influenza vaccinations are no longer recommended for healthy pregnant individuals...
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COMMENT (NPW): Immediately I think this is good and bad. It is good that professional organisations have the autonomy to issue the guidance that they believe is right (sometimes it feels that a dystopian world where such independence is no longer tolerated is a real possibility as misinformation stirs up anti-science attitudes). But it is bad because wo contradictory guidelines will inevitably cause confusion among health professionals and the public, and this in turn will further undermine trust in science.
This would be an interesting topic for a HIFA Spotlight: www.hifa.org/spotlights
Best wishes, Neil
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org