A group of experts from different disciplines around vaccine science and policy have come together for the launch of the Vaccine Integrity Project. Spearheaded by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), the initiative’s stated aims include “safeguarding vaccine utilization in the US”, keeping it “grounded in the best available science” and “free from external influence.”
The Project has established a steering committee of eight public health experts, all of whom have given their time voluntarily. They include former governor of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson; Dr Anne Zink of Yale School of Public Health, who served as Chief Medical Officer for the state of Alaska from 2018-2024; and former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and current co-president of the InterAcademy Partnership Dr Margaret (Peggy) Hamburg.
Financial support for the Project comes from an unrestricted gift from Alumbra, a foundation established by philanthropist and Walmart heiress Christy Walton.
Hamburg will co-chair the steering committee with Dr Harvey Fineburg, a past president of the US National Academy of Medicine. “We are trying to ensure that the best science continues to guide decisions about vaccines,” Fineburg told reporters at a press conference, according to Science.
“This project acknowledges the unfortunate reality that the system that we’ve relied on to make vaccine recommendations and to review safety and effectiveness data faces threats,” commented Dr Michael Osterholm, Director of CIDRAP and member of the steering committee, in a statement.
Despite overwhelming scientific evidence that vaccines have saved millions of lives, and continue to prevent serious illness and death, they have faced skepticism from an increasingly vocal minority. While at one time being an “antivaxxer” might have been considered a fringe sentiment, we’ve now seen some of the most powerful establishment figures within health and science policy questioning the use of various vaccine technologies or sharing misinformation on them. For example, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr is directing government funds and resources into studying the already long-debunked link between vaccines and autism.
Earlier this year, the Montana state legislature heard a bill that would seek to ban the use of mRNA vaccines in humans.
The scientific consensus is that mRNA vaccines not only changed the course of the COVID-19 pandemic for the better, but they’re also a very promising avenue for treating and preventing other diseases, including several types of cancer. However, misunderstandings about how these vaccines work – including unfounded fears about them “changing” our DNA – have led to strident opposition from some quarters.
Where the Vaccine Integrity Project needs to step in, according to Osterholm, is when positions that aren’t supported by the scientific data are being put forth by those with the power to influence vaccine policy decisions.
“Somebody has to be prepared to stand up if the director of the National Institutes of Health declares that mRNA vaccine technology is potentially dangerous,” Osterholm said at the press conference, as reported by Science. He was referring to comments previously made by Dr Jay Bhattacharya, recently appointed to the role by the Trump administration.
Criticism has also been leveled in recent weeks at Kennedy for promoting unproven “therapies” and not offering full-throated support of measles vaccination in the wake of a surging outbreak in Texas, with cases cropping up in several other states. New research from Stanford University suggests that measles – once eliminated in the US – could once again become endemic if vaccination rates don’t improve, with the lead study author describing the situation as “on the precipice of disaster.”
Infectious disease epidemiologist Jessica Malaty Rivera told CNN, “It appears public health and agency officials are working really hard to undermine decades of vaccine research,” going on to describe the Project as “sadly, very necessary.”
The Vaccine Integrity Project will commence its work by holding information-gathering sessions with stakeholders, including medical associations, vaccine manufacturers, health insurers, and policymakers. These they will use to map out their future activities after establishing how best they can support public health efforts around vaccination.
Tellingly, they suggest that these activities could include “reviewing government decisions and messaging to provide clear, evidence-based information, where needed.”
Source Link: Experts Form New Initiative To "Safeguard" Vaccines And Fight US Government Misinformation
