Vaccine Policies - by Jeffrey Miron - Libertarian Land

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services, recently fired all seventeen members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), replacing them with eight new members. Most reaction has addressed the qualifications of the new versus prior members, especially their alleged “biases” about vaccine science. A different perspective asks whether government should play any role in determining vaccine availability and use. Currently, new vaccines must receive FDA approval, and the ACIP makes recommendations each year about new and updated vaccines. This affects availability and whether insurance covers the costs. Various other policies also determine who can or must take up particular vaccines. Absent these policies, any private group could research, produce, and market vaccines to those willing to pay. Organizations such as the American Medical Association would evaluate safety and efficacy, while doctors would recommend vaccines to their patients—or n

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