A Centers for Disease Control committee is meeting on Thursday and Friday to vote on vaccine policies.
Columbus Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts was set to be on that committee until Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. changed all 17 of the appointees earlier this year.
Dr. Roberts said she's paying close attention to the recommendations by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) — though she intends to continue to follow science coming from trusted, reputable organizations and journals.
The committee is looking at vaccines for COVID-19 and Hepatitis B, and the combined measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) vaccine.
Dr. Roberts said there may be clarification on the MMRV vaccine because there are concerns that it's linked to febrile seizures in children under the age of four.
She hopes recommendations will not change for COVID-19 vaccines.
"We all who are in healthcare and in public health and really many residents realize that that vaccine saved lives and continues to save lives," Dr. Roberts said. "So I hope that their discussion doesn't change or restrict who should get that vaccine."
Dr. Roberts said she is concerned that some members of the ACIP have "strong beliefs" that differ from most public health professionals.
"I'm hoping that that doesn't interfere with their vote and their decisions in terms of the vaccine schedule," Dr. Roberts said. "If we remove some of these vaccines or we change the schedule, you could see an emergence of these vaccine-preventable diseases."
Thursday afternoon, Dr. Roberts couldn't say whether her recommendations would ultimately differ from the recommendations of the committee.
"As of now, I continue to recommend the vaccine schedule that has been established by the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as the former ACIP," Dr. Roberts said.
Regardless of the current ACIP's recommendations, Dr. Roberts encourages people to follow the advice of their health care providers. She said not all ACIP members are health care providers.
"If you're wondering what you should do, talk to your health care provider, talk to a pharmacist about what is best for you and your family, given your individual circumstances," she said.
