CDC advisers vote to restrict MMRV vaccine options for younger children, delay vote on hepatitis B vaccine
None of the votes are finalized until the head of CDC or HHS signs off.
By Dr. Jade Cobern, Will McDuffie, and Sony Salzman
September 18, 2025, 7:50 PM
An influential group of advisers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted Thursday to narrow existing recommendations for the combined MMRV shot that protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.
The CDC vaccine advisory committee, called ACIP, voted 8-3 to narrow the recommendations. One person abstained from voting due to a conflict of interest.
Another vote on dropping a longstanding recommendation to give all newborns a hepatitis B vaccination at birth was delayed until Friday.
Regarding the MMRV vaccine, the advisers' vote means the combined shot, which contains measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) all in one shot, will no longer be recommended for younger kids getting their first dose around 12 months old.
Instead, the committee recommended these kids should get two separate shots, one combining measles/mumps/rubella, and a second shot for chickenpox. The combo shot will continue to be recommended as an option for a child's second dose, which is given between ages 4-6.
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