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RFK Jr.’s vaccine panel weakens Covid shot recommendations, calling it an individual decision
Members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices listen to a presentation about Covid-19 during an ACIP meeting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Sept. 19, 2025.
Alyssa Pointer | Reuters
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s hand-picked vaccine panel on Friday weakened Covid shot recommendations in the U.S., advising that all Americans consult a health-care provider before deciding whether to receive the vaccine.
The 12-member panel, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, recommended that people 6 months and up receive vaccines based on so-called “shared clinical decision-making,” which refers to a decision process between a health-care provider and a patient or their guardian. The group also voted to emphasize that for those under 65, the Covid vaccine is most beneficial for those at high risk of severe illness from the disease.
The guidance breaks from previous years, where the committee recommended that all Americans ages 6 months and up receive an updated Covid shot.
While ACIP did not restrict the use of the Covid vaccine, the panel’s softer recommendation may further confuse Americans about whether to take a shot and make it more difficult for them to access one. ACIP sets recommendations on who should receive certain shots and which vaccines insurers must cover at no cost.
The panel’s chair, Martin Kulldorff, said it was his understanding that the new recommendation means that government-run insurance plans will still cover Covid vaccines. But it’s unclear if all private health plans will maintain coverage of the shots.
The CDC, whose latest director was ousted by the Trump administration earlier this month, still has to adopt the panel’s recommendations.
The vote is no surprise, as Kennedy appointed several vocal critics of mRNA Covid shots to the panel after ousting all previous members in June. During the meeting Friday, some members cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of Covid shots and mRNA technology, and questioned the reliability of data on hospitalization rates due to the virus.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Retsef Levi speaks during an Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Sept. 19, 2025.
Alyssa Pointer | Reuters
It also follows Kennedy’s other recent moves to change U.S. Covid vaccine policy, which have created new hurdles for some people to access vaccines, including prescription requirements in certain states. The CDC dropped Covid shot recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women, and the Food and Drug Administration approved new Covid jabs with limits on who can get them.
The ability to get vaccines may vary by state: In a break from federal guidelines, four Democratic states on Wednesday recommended that broad swaths of the population receive an updated Covid shot, including “all who choose protection.” Still, the new recommendations could weaken vaccination rates against the virus and heighten the threat of the disease spreading.
A study published Thursday in JAMA Network Open showed that sticking to a universal Covid vaccine recommendation in the U.S., the guidance that has been in place in recent years, has the potential to prevent thousands more hospitalizations and deaths than limiting the advisory to high-risk groups.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that shots using mRNA technology, including Covid vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, are safe and effective, and serious side effects have happened in extremely rare cases. One paper in August estimates that Covid vaccines saved more than 2 million lives, mostly among older adults, worldwide between 2020 and October 2024.
In a statement Friday, Pfizer said the company and its partner BioNTech “remain steadfast in our dedication to vaccine safety, quality and effectiveness through constant safety monitoring and ongoing research.”
One major health insurance group on Wednesday said its member plans will cover all vaccines already recommended by ACIP, including updated Covid and flu shots, despite any changes the new slate of appointees makes this week. Member plans of the group, America’s Health Insurance Plans, collectively provide coverage and services to over 200 million Americans. That includes more than a dozen Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, Centene, CVS‘ Aetna, Elevance Health, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, Molina, and Cigna.
Debating Covid vaccines
One ACIP member, Retsef Levi, a professor of operations management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, led a work group that reviewed data and proposed recommendations around Covid vaccines. Levi’s presentation on the group’s findings questioned the safety and efficacy of Covid shots and cast doubt on mRNA technology.
“We have a range of things on the mRNA platforms that really suggest that it doesn’t work as intended,” said Levi, who has previously pushed to stop giving mRNA shots.
He said the majority of the work group felt that individual decisions on whether to receive a Covid vaccine are “appropriate” and specifically, that people should now have to obtain prescriptions for the shot. “You get to a level of nuance” where some patients may have recent prior infections or different comorbidities that should be discussed with a physician as part of a prescription, Levi said.
But one work group member, Dr. Henry Bernstein, said during another presentation that “shared clinical decision-making and a need for a prescription creates barriers” to Covid vaccine access.
“Simple, stable recommendations can increase vaccine coverage,” said Bernstein, a professor of pediatrics at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. “Covid-19 vaccines are highly safe and effective.” He is not a member of Kennedy’s panel who votes on recommendations.
“Covid-19 vaccination matters for pregnant women, pediatric patients, especially those less than two years of age, people 65 years and older, those of any age with a weakened immune system, medical conditions, and anyone who feels they want protection for themselves or their families,” he said.
New Delhi: If you often use your HDFC Bank debit card for free airport lounge access, this update is important for you. The bank has changed how complimentary lounge entry works on its debit cards. Instead of simply swiping your card at the lounge, customers will now need a digital voucher to get access. Also, the minimum spending requirement has been increased, reported Moneycontrol. These new rules will come into effect from January 10, and will apply to eligible debit cardholders going forward.
How the New Lounge Voucher System Works
Once your eligibility is confirmed, HDFC Bank will send you an SMS or email with a link to claim your lounge access voucher. You’ll need to verify your request by entering an OTP sent to your registered mobile number. You will receive a voucher code or QR code after successful verification which must be shown at the airport lounge to get entry.
Minimum Spend Requirement Increased
Under the revised rules, HDFC Bank debit card users will now need to spend at least Rs 10,000 in a calendar quarter to be eligible for complimentary airport lounge access. Earlier, the minimum spend required was Rs 5,000.
However, this condition will not apply to HDFC Infiniti Debit Card holders. Customers using the Infiniti card will continue to enjoy free lounge access without any minimum spending requirement.
Eligible Transactions and Free Lounge Visits by Card Type
Only purchase transactions made using the debit card will be considered while calculating the quarterly spending requirement. Other types of transactions will not be counted, as noted by Moneycontrol.
Meanwhile, the number of complimentary lounge visits remains unchanged and continues to depend on the debit card variant:
Millennia Debit Card: 1 free visit per quarter
Platinum Debit Card: 2 free visits per quarter
Times Points Debit Card: 1 free visit per quarter
Business Debit Card: 2 free visits per quarter
GIGA Debit Card: 1 free visit per quarter
Infiniti Debit Card: 4 free visits per quarter
This means cardholders should check both their spending eligibility and card type to know how many lounge visits they can enjoy.
Which Transactions Count and Voucher Validity Explained
Only purchase transactions made using the debit card will be counted towards the quarterly spending requirement. As per Moneycontrol, the following transactions will not be included:
ATM cash withdrawals
UPI or wallet payments (GPay, PhonePe, Paytm, etc.)
Credit card bill payments made via debit card
Debit card EMI transactions
New debit cardholders will also need to meet the Rs 10,000 spending requirement to become eligible for complimentary lounge access.
Voucher Validity:
Once issued, the lounge access voucher will remain valid till the end of the next calendar quarter, after which it will expire if not used.
What This Means for Debit Card Users
With the updated lounge access rules, HDFC Bank is clearly encouraging higher card usage and digital verification. Customers who regularly use complimentary lounge benefits will now need to keep a close watch on their quarterly spending and complete the voucher process in advance. As per Moneycontrol, physical debit card swipes will no longer work from January 10, making it important for travellers to switch to the new digital voucher system.
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority has amended NPS exit and withdrawal rules to give subscribers greater flexibility, choice and control over their retirement savings.
The revised rules primarily target the non-government sector, where NPS participation is voluntary, covering both All Citizen and Corporate subscribers.
Non-government subscribers with an NPS corpus of more than Rs 12 lakh can now withdraw up to 80% of their savings as a lump sum, with only 20% mandatorily allocated to an annuity.
For All Citizen subscribers, the minimum lock-in period for premature exit has been removed, easing access to accumulated pension wealth.
At normal exit, non-government NPS subscribers can now withdraw up to 80% of their corpus as lump sum, with the mandatory annuity portion reduced to 20%.
The threshold for 100% lump-sum withdrawal has been raised significantly, with greater flexibility through systematic lump-sum or unit withdrawals for mid-sized corpuses.
Individuals joining NPS after age 60 will no longer face a vesting period and will also be eligible for up to 80% lump-sum withdrawal at exit.
Up to 25% of own contribution can be withdrawn for housing, medical needs, or loan repayment, with clearer timelines.
While core annuity requirements for government subscribers remain unchanged, higher corpus thresholds and systematic withdrawal options have been introduced.
The maximum entry and exit age under NPS has been increased to 85 years, allowing subscribers to stay invested longer.
Subscribers can now seek financial assistance from regulated institutions, with lenders allowed to mark lien on up to 25% of the subscriber’s own NPS contribution.
By simplifying exits, expanding withdrawal choices and improving liquidity, the amendments aim to make NPS more inclusive while safeguarding long-term retirement income.
Seoul: South Korea aims to cut carbon emissions at its international airports by 10 percent by 2030 while expanding the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a government report showed on Sunday.
Under the blueprint for the 2026-2030 period, set by the transport, environment and industry ministries, carbon emissions at South Korea’s international airports are projected to reach 29.8 million tons in 2030, up 28 percent from 23.3 million tons recorded this year.
The government aims to reduce the projected amount by 10 percent, or 2.87 million tons, reports Yonhap news agency. The report said the reduction can be achieved by using SAF, shorter standby time during takeoff and landing, and improved efficiency in airport operations.
In line with the efforts, international aircraft taking off from South Korea will be required to use SAF for at least 1 percent of their fuel, and the share will be raised to between 3 percent and 5 percent after 2030.
South Korea will come up with measures to ease the financial burden on air carriers, considering that SAF prices are around three times higher than those of conventional jet fuel, including partially assisting with related costs.
Meanwhile, Korean Air build a next-generation aircraft maintenance hangar at Incheon International Airport, South Korea’s main gateway, under a 176 billion-won (US$119.2 million) joint investment deal with the airport operator, the airline said.
The new hangar will be located inside the airport’s High Tech Aviation Complex and will support airframe inspections, component checks, heavy maintenance and aircraft modification. The 69,299-square-meter site will accommodate two wide-body aircraft and one narrow-body aircraft at once. Construction is set to begin in 2027, with operations planned from late 2029.
Korean Air said the facility will strengthen its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities ahead of the launch of the integrated carrier following the acquisition of rival carrier Asiana Airlines Inc.
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