United States: In a striking pivot within the federal health framework, a senior CDC medical officer, Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos, who had been at the forefront of refining Covid-19 vaccine directives, formally stepped down from her position. This departure unfolded synchronously with the US Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) abrupt rescindment of vaccination guidance for expectant mothers and otherwise robust youth demographics.
Dr. Panagiotakopoulos, a seasoned pediatrician with over a decade immersed in public health, had co-steered the CDC’s Covid-19 vaccine advisory unit. Her group, composed of unaffiliated medical analysts, had invested months examining emerging immunological data to potentially revise routine inoculation advisories—particularly for adults under 65 and children without underlying conditions. A decisive vote on those proposed refinements was slated for their forthcoming convocation, according to CNN.
In a farewell communiqué circulated to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), Panagiotakopoulos wrote, “I’ve concluded my tenure as co-lead of the Covid-19 work group, and after 12 impactful years, I will be exiting the CDC. My mission has always been to safeguard the most at-risk groups. Unfortunately, this is no longer tenable in my present role.”
