A closely watched advisory panel to the CDC voted Thursday, Sept. 18, to tweak recommendations for a measles vaccine that includes protection against the varicella, or chickenpox, virus.

The new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) suggests the vaccine, called MMRV , shouldn’t be recommended for children under age 4 because of a small risk for febrile seizures in that age group. The seizures can be prompted by fevers associated with viruses or, sometimes, vaccines. They usually last for a few minutes and, while they are scary for parents to witness, are generally harmless, doctors say.

The panelists voted 8-3 in favor of the change. One member, Dr. Robert Malone, abstained because of a conflict of interest.

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