Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'All New Vaccines' To Undergo Placebo Testing For Approval, HHS Says
The Washington Post: RFK Jr. Will Order 'Placebo' Testing For New Vaccines, Alarming Health Experts
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. intends to shift the way vaccines are tested, a move that the agency said will increase transparency but that medical experts fear could limit access to vaccines and undermine the public’s trust in immunization depending on its implementation. The potential change outlined in a statement says all new vaccines will be required to undergo placebo testing, a procedure in which some people receive the vaccine and others receive an inert substance — such as a saline shot — before the results are compared. (Weber, Roubein, Sun and Johnson, 4/30)
In related vaccine news —
The Wall Street Journal: RFK Jr. Bets $500 Million On Universal Vaccines In Shift From Covid-19 Funding
In a shift away from next-generation Covid-19 vaccines, the Trump administration is investing $500 million in a vaccine project championed by two scientists who were recently tapped to serve in senior roles within the National Institutes of Health, according to emails reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The unusually large sum comes as the nation’s health agencies are cutting budgets, shrinking staff and terminating hundreds of active research grants. (Subbaraman, 5/1)
NBC News: The Little-Known Database At The Heart Of Kennedy’s Vaccine Conspiracy Theory
Without evidence, anti-vaccine lawyer Aaron Siri and activist Del Bigtree have claimed on the internet show "The HighWire" that the CDC scattered the vaccine safety data after Kennedy took office, making it unavailable for Kennedy’s team to examine. The goal, according to Siri, was to “thwart the ability for the current administration to actually conduct a study in the VSD.” ... A CDC spokesperson confirmed that nothing about the stewardship of VSD data had changed in the last year. (Zadrozny, 4/30)
CIDRAP: CIDRAP's Vaccine Integrity Project Names Steering Committee Members
The University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) has announced the steering committee members for its Vaccine Integrity Project, which was introduced last week. (Van Beusekom, 4/30)
On measles, covid, and flu shots —
ABC News: Even A Small Uptick In Vaccination Could Prevent Millions Of US Measles Cases. Here's How
Measles cases are continuing to spread throughout the U.S. with outbreaks in at least six states. Public health experts have previously said lagging vaccination rates are to blame for the rise in cases, at least partly due to vaccine hesitancy and vaccine fatigue left over from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, even a small uptick in MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination could prevent millions of infections, according to new research. (Kekatos, 4/30)
NBC Chicago: 2 Measles Cases Confirmed In Chicago Area, One Involving O'Hare Airport
Officials said one of the cases was detected in an adult who is a suburban Cook County resident whose vaccination status is unknown. This person received care at a local hospital on April 28 and has since been quickly isolated. The other case was identified in an adult Chicago resident who had recently traveled internationally through O'Hare International Airport in early April and had received one prior dose of the MMR vaccine, according to officials. (4/30)
The Texas Tribune: Hispanic Texans Embraced COVID Shots And Lowered Their Death Rate
In the summer of 2020, death engulfed Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. Delia Ramos recalls the eerie prevalence of freezer trucks lining hospital parking lots to store the bodies, as a novel virus battered the mostly Hispanic region. When her husband Ricardo eventually fell ill, he entered the hospital alone, and she never got to see him again. The demand for services for the dead was so high, she had to place her name on a waiting list to have him cremated. (Langford and Schumacher, 5/1)
CIDRAP: Analysis: Small But Meaningful Menstrual Cycle Changes Follow Flu Vaccination
Receiving an influenza vaccine with or without a co-administered COVID-19 vaccine was associated with a small and temporary—but meaningful—change in the menstrual cycles of regularly menstruating women, according to a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. The study was based on data collected from an English-language digital birth control app used globally. (Soucheray, 4/30)
