A federal panel of medical experts on Wednesday recommended an expansion of RSV vaccinations for adults and a new combination shot as another option to protect teens against meningitis.
The 15-member panel typically makes recommendations to the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how vaccines should be used.
But in a break from decades of practice, the person evaluating Wednesday's recommendations won't have a background in medicine: The agency is without a permanent director, so an ex-prosecutor now at the CDC will make the call.
The decision will fall to the CDC's chief of staff, Matthew Buzzelli, said Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Andrew Nixon.
Buzzelli is not a physician. His CDC bio touts his experience as an attorney, including as a federal prosecutor.
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The scientific panel's recommendations on Wednesday were:
— People 50 to 59 should be able to get vaccinated against respiratory syncytial virus have risks including heart disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.
— Endorsement of a new combination shot made by GSK that protects against five strains of meningococcal bacteria, including a strain that caused a spate of outbreaks on college campuses about 10 years ago. It would join other products that also target the germs.
— Adding a second chikungunya vaccine to the options for Americans age 12 and older who are traveling to countries where outbreaks of the mosquito-borne illness are occurring. About 100 to 200 cases are reported annually among U.S. travelers.
— Adding a new precaution for the older chikungunya vaccine that uses weakened but live virus: People 65 and older should weigh the risks of benefits of that version of the shot, the panel said. The precaution was added after panel members heard about an investigation into six reports of people 65 and older — most of them with other medical problems — who became ill with heart or brain symptoms less than a week after vaccination. The investigation is continuing.
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It’s not clear how quickly Buzzelli will decide whether to accept the recommendations.
The Trump administration named Susan Monarez as acting CDC director in January, and last month picked her to lead the agency. But while she’s awaiting Senate confirmation, she has essentially recused herself from regular duties because of federal law around vacancies, according to two CDC officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss agency matters and feared being fired.
Monarez holds a doctorate in microbiology and immunology.