NEW YORK: A health advisory panel appointed by former President Donald Trump has raised doubts about Covid-19 vaccine safety and effectiveness while refusing to explicitly recommend them.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices stated that obtaining a Covid-19 shot should remain an individual choice made in consultation with medical professionals.
The panel also approved language urging stronger warnings about alleged vaccination risks despite overwhelming scientific evidence supporting vaccine safety and effectiveness.
Sean O’Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics described the committee’s actions as extraordinarily vague and unlike anything he had ever witnessed before.
“What it looked like to me was a lot of clear efforts to sow distrust in vaccines, to instill fear,“ he told AFP.
O’Leary noted that discussions focused on myths and anecdotes rather than actual scientific evidence regarding Covid-19 vaccines.
Non-voting observers at the meeting echoed these concerns about the committee’s shifting approach to vaccine recommendations.
Sandra Fryhofer of the American Medical Association expressed alarm at what she described as the erosion of the committee’s integrity under its new leadership.
The Trump administration’s Food and Drug Administration had already restricted Covid-19 vaccine approval to elderly individuals and those with underlying conditions.
This followed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s spring announcement ending recommendations for children and healthy pregnant women.
Public health experts warn these policy changes could complicate booster access through increased costs and reduced availability.
The committee considered requiring prescriptions for Covid-19 vaccines but rejected the measure through a tiebreak vote.
Epidemiologist Catherine Stein dissented, noting that underinsured populations with limited healthcare access would face the greatest barriers under such requirements.
The meeting concluded with confusion as members reversed decisions regarding childhood vaccination programs and deferred action on newborn hepatitis B immunization.
Many medical professionals have criticized the reconstituted panel for making crucial policy decisions without adequate understanding of vaccine delivery systems. – AFP
