Why was the Flu Vaccine Cancelled Until Further Notice?
Why was the highly anticipated vaccine committee meeting originally scheduled for February 26โ28 was cancelled until further notice? The unexpected decision was announced soon after Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic, assumed the role of head of the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees both the FDA and CDC.
A Controversial Decision
Kennedy has been vocal in questioning vaccine safety and pointing out what he describes as conflicts of interest in the vaccine review and approval process. His stance has sparked mixed reactions, particularly regarding the postponement of the CDC vaccine committee meeting.
Historically, these committees have appeared to provide a platform for robust scientific debates, fostering transparency and ensuring policies are well-informed. An established member, Dr. Paul Offit, claims that, "This is an independent group... independent of the pharmaceutical industry and independent of government,โ. He warned that bypassing this process risks leaving critical decisions about public health in the hands of government officials alone. However, other experts, even many from within the CDC, believe that conflicts of interest rule decision on the committee and in the CDC generally. According to Dr. Huntoon, "Even whenย the CDC identifies conflicts of interest for advisory committee members, some allege that the CDC 'automatically'ย grantsย annual waivers to the participants. And the CDC's policy onย 'prohibited sources'ย of donations to the CDC Foundation,ย which allows 'prohibited'ย donations, makes a completeย mockery of the CDC's entire ethics process," he writes.
Industry funding is likely to have influenced agency recommendations concerningย viral hepatitis and influenza, to nameย two examples. Data manipulation has been alleged with respect to the Wise Woman (WW) programย as well as studies pertaining to measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism, he states.
In 2016 a group of more than a dozen senior scientistsย at the CDC lodged an ethics complaint alleging that that the CDC was being influenced "by corporate and political interests in ways that shortchange taxpayers."ย They noted "the pervasive nature of unethicalย practices throughout all levels at the CDC."
"The CDC has a long history of bias and troubling conflictsย of interest.ย This history calls into question the scientificย validity of recommendations made by the CDC," Dr. Huntoon concludes.
Research Highlights the Risks and Low Efficacy of Flu Shots
Door to Freedom founder Dr. Meryl Nass, who follows FDA and CDC vaccine advisory meetings and often blogs about them, welcomed the meetingโs cancellation and expressed skepticism about flu vaccines.
โThe purpose for the U.S. flu vaccine program is shrouded in mystery,โ Nass said. โThe CDC creates models of influenza mortality and then tells us how many deaths occur from flu each year by citing its own models.โ
Nass described the VRBPACโs annual meetings to select strains for the following seasonโs flu vaccines as โa crapshoot.โ
โThe VRBPAC are there to give cover to U.S. government officials who do not want to pick the wrong strains,โ Nass said.
Nass referred to a 2005 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine that could โnot correlate increasing [flu] vaccination coverage after 1980 with declining mortality rates in any age groupโ and that โobservational studies substantially overestimate vaccination benefit.โ
A CDC report issued today found the flu shot less effective for some children this year. According to CBS News, โEffectiveness was 32% for children and adolescents, from the CDCโs U.S. Flu VE network of health care systems. Thatโs down from 67% in last yearโs estimates.โ
Biologist Christina Parks, Ph.D., said it is โtime to stop pretending the flu vaccine is effective.โ
The Public Health Implications
The recent developments come at a critical time when maintaining public trust in vaccines is essential for preventing illness and saving lives. The decision to delay the vaccine committee meeting casts uncertainty over how future vaccine policies will be shaped and raises questions about the prioritization of expert scientific input in public health decision-making. For now, the CDC stands by its message urging the public to get vaccinated, reaffirming that flu shots are a proven tool for reducing the risk of severe complications for both children and adults.ย
Stay tuned for further updates as more details emerge surrounding this pivotal shift in the nationโs vaccine policy landscape.
For Further Reading:
FDA Calls Off Meeting to Select Flu Strains for Next Seasonโs Vaccine by Michael Nevradakis, PhD.
Laughableโ: Experts Rip CDC Report Claiming Childhood Vaccines Saved 1.1 Million Lives
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