WASHINGTON — Federal vaccine advisers, through a freewheeling, and at times combative two-day meeting, recommended a major change to childhood vaccinations that runs counter to the medical consensus — and began setting the stage for a larger rethink in the future.

The new recommendations and many of the arguments about U.S.vaccination strategies overlook vast bodies of data that show shots are safe and effective, infectious disease and public health experts said, while embracing unsubstantiated notions that immunizations could pose hidden dangers . The committee’s new approach could harm American children, medical groups said.

“This is a significant departure from the historic role ACIP has played in shaping vaccine policy in the United States,” a joint statement from dozens of g

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