Seventeen dismissed experts. A financial promise for experienced vaccination. An ingredient denounced by the vaccinosceptics placed on a black list. These recent decisions make experts fear that the Secretary of Health is pursuing a line of antivaccin actions, despite his promises. This suggests important consequences not only in the United States, but elsewhere in the world.
“This is a new reality,” said Professor William Moss, director of the International Director Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins, on the phone in Baltimore. “For us, in the United States, and for those who really support vaccination and science, we will have a lot of work to try to correct the misinformation and misleading information from a committee which should be very respected,” added the professor.
The committee in question, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (APIP), is responsible for transmitting its recommendations on vaccines to centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This federal agency then establishes the inoculation calendars for the Americans, based on the opinions of the ACIP. The guidelines also determine which vaccines are covered by insurance companies.
Voting members of the AIPI are “independent medical experts and public health”, according to the CDC website.
Replacement
The Secretary of Health and Social Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., oversees these federal organizations. The nephew of John F. Kennedy is known for his questioning of the security of vaccines, putting forward theories many times denied. But he had assured, during the hearings to confirm his appointment, that he was going to be guided by science and would not mine access to the vaccines.
At the beginning of June, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the 17 members of the AIPI, accusing them of conflicts of interest – without providing proof.
Among the new members of the Committee are controversial figures, active in the denunciation of vaccines, despite refuted studies.
“My reading of the situation is that the people of the committee were going to make science -based recommendations, and it is not the recommendations that he (Robert F. Kennedy Jr.) wants, when it is based on science, the conclusions support vaccines,” said The press Pediatrician Paul Offer, professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
The DR Offer has already sat at the ACIP. He stresses that the committee is usually “very influential” in the health world.
Kennedy Jr., “a fanatic”?
The group met for the first time last week. Its members approved a flu vaccine, provided that it is free from Thimérosal, an ingredient used for the preservation of around 5 % of flu vaccines.
Photo Megan Varner, Reuters archives
Martin Kulldorff, biostatistian and epidemiologist, and DD Mina Zadeh, members of the APIP, during the first meeting of the group on June 25, in Atlanta
The members of the AIPI were based on the testimony of a former president of a vaccinosceptic group, without the usual public presentation of CDC scientific data, said the Associated Press agency.
The panel will also look at the children’s vaccination calendar.
To study if a combination of vaccines can interfere with the immune response, this is a legitimate question. But there is nothing that suggests that the current calendar is harmful in any way.
William Moss, Director of the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University
The DR Offer fears that no serious study can convince the Secretary of Health, despite his claims. And that conclusions are distrustful of vaccines beyond the United States.
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a series of well-stopped beliefs,” he said. He believes that vaccines are dangerous and no amount of data or studies will be able to convince him of the contrary. It is a fanatic and it will do everything it can in the coming years to make vaccines less accessible, less affordable and more feared. »»
Vaccines for poor countries
As the AIPI met, Gavi, an organization working for the vaccination of millions of children in the poorest countries, held its summit in Brussels. Kennedy made a virtual announcement there: the United States would stop finance the world alliance. Under Joe Biden, the country had promised 1 billion US last year, over five years.
The Secretary of Health justified this decision by accusing the organization of ignoring the security of vaccines, which Gavi denied.
“I am very troubled by the speech (from Kennedy),” comments Mira Johri, professor at the University of Montreal. The researcher studies equitable access to world vaccines and infant health. She worked as an independent expert for Gavi.
There is no process that is perfect, but my experience is that the processes are responsible and that the data presented by Kennedy have already been considered and refuted.
Mira Johri, professor at the University of Montreal
Faced with the withdrawal of American aid, other donors have promised more funds. However, it is unknown if it will be enough for achieving objectives. Canada reiterated its promise to grant 675 million from 2026 to 2030.
Mme Johri fears the “difficult choices” to make if the funds are lacking. “You are then in front of a dilemma: do we prioritize the administration of a vaccine for something very widespread?” she illustrates. Or very deadly, but in a limited area? Or who requires a little more in terms of infrastructure or training? There are lots of factors to examine. »»
With Associated Press
