On Friday, CNN reported the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) panel voted to shift away from a broad recommendation for COVID-19 vaccines to say that people who want a shot must consult with a healthcare provider. No prescription will be required though.

The panel met on Sept. 18 and 19 to consider whether to alter the nation’s childhood immunization schedule, which medical experts warn could lead to preventable deaths.

Moreover, the panel voted on Sept. 18 to change a recommendation on the combined measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (MMRV) vaccine, supporting separate instead of combined MMR and varicella shots for children under the age of 4. They also discussed hepatitis B vaccine timing but tabled a vote, CBS News reported.

Last week, seven northeastern U.S. states also banded together to form a new public health coalition that will make its own vaccine recommendations in response to the Trump administration’s changes to federal vaccine policy. The effort, called the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, resembles the West Coast Health Alliance collective—which issued its own vaccine recommendations on Sept. 17.

The Northeast Public Health Collaborative is comprised of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island, while the West Coast Health Alliance includes California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii.

Both coalitions reflect an attempt to overcome federal limits on vaccine accessibility under the leadership of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy (RFK)—a vaccine skeptic. In June,  RFK fired all members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s panel of vaccine experts and later replaced them with his own advisers. Last week, RFK expanded the panel to 12, most of whom share his vaccine skepticism.

Technology that harnesses ultraviolet light (UV) to kill airborne viruses has been shown to significantly lower the number of respiratory infections in aged care facilities, according to Flinders University.

Adapted by scientists from Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) and SAHMRI, the technology is based on using germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) appliances which purify the air with UV-C light rays and deactivate harmful microorganisms like viruses and bacteria.

The new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine trialed commercially available GUV appliances in aged care facilities in Australia and found they reduced rates of viral respiratory infections in vulnerable, older adults by more than 12%.

Though older people are particularly vulnerable to acute respiratory diseases, this technology could be hugely significant in reducing the burden of viral infections in other contexts and in helping prepare for future pandemics.

The trial-tested, commercially available LAF Technologies GUV appliances can be mounted to ceilings or walls or fitted into ventilated AC systems and are harmless to people. Moreover, they have already proven to reduce levels of airborne pathogens in laboratory and hospital settings.