"Vaccine Panel Realizes It's in Over Its Head, Delays Crucial Vote"
A chaotic meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine panel has left experts stunned after the committee realized it had no idea what it was doing. The decision to delay a crucial vote on the recommended dose of the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns comes as a surprise, given that the panel was hand-picked by anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The meeting was marked by disorganization and confusion, with members struggling to understand the topic at hand. Anti-vaccine activists took center stage, delivering presentations that were riddled with false claims and conspiracy theories. The committee's own data presentations were also marred by errors and misrepresentations, leaving many to wonder how such a critical decision could be made without proper scientific rigor.
One of the most egregious examples of this came from Cynthia Nevison, an anti-vaccine activist who presented on hepatitis B transmission rates. Despite having no medical background, she claimed that the dramatic decline in hepatitis B infections following vaccination efforts was not actually due to the vaccine. Her claims were quickly debunked by pediatrician Amy Middleman, who pointed out that her presentation was based on a misunderstanding of a key study.
The meeting also saw the introduction of Mark Blaxill, an anti-vaccine activist with no background in medicine or science. He presented on hepatitis B vaccine safety, despite having written books and articles falsely claiming that vaccines cause a variety of harms in children.
As the meeting descended into chaos, medical experts were left to pick up the pieces. "This is completely inappropriate," said Jason Goldman, an ACIP liaison representing the American College of Physicians. "We need to use evidence-based frameworks to make recommendations, not cherry-pick data and ignore the process."
The committee will reconvene tomorrow for a second day of deliberations, but it remains to be seen whether they will be able to come to a decision on the hepatitis B vaccine. One thing is clear, however: the meeting has highlighted the need for greater scientific rigor and expertise in shaping vaccine policy.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Kennedy Jr.'s role in selecting the panel has raised eyebrows among experts. "It's like handing a committee of novice amateur sleuths a pair of binoculars and telling them to start hunting for clues," said one expert. The consequences of this approach are being felt already, with critical vaccine recommendations hanging in the balance.
A chaotic meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccine panel has left experts stunned after the committee realized it had no idea what it was doing. The decision to delay a crucial vote on the recommended dose of the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns comes as a surprise, given that the panel was hand-picked by anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The meeting was marked by disorganization and confusion, with members struggling to understand the topic at hand. Anti-vaccine activists took center stage, delivering presentations that were riddled with false claims and conspiracy theories. The committee's own data presentations were also marred by errors and misrepresentations, leaving many to wonder how such a critical decision could be made without proper scientific rigor.
One of the most egregious examples of this came from Cynthia Nevison, an anti-vaccine activist who presented on hepatitis B transmission rates. Despite having no medical background, she claimed that the dramatic decline in hepatitis B infections following vaccination efforts was not actually due to the vaccine. Her claims were quickly debunked by pediatrician Amy Middleman, who pointed out that her presentation was based on a misunderstanding of a key study.
The meeting also saw the introduction of Mark Blaxill, an anti-vaccine activist with no background in medicine or science. He presented on hepatitis B vaccine safety, despite having written books and articles falsely claiming that vaccines cause a variety of harms in children.
As the meeting descended into chaos, medical experts were left to pick up the pieces. "This is completely inappropriate," said Jason Goldman, an ACIP liaison representing the American College of Physicians. "We need to use evidence-based frameworks to make recommendations, not cherry-pick data and ignore the process."
The committee will reconvene tomorrow for a second day of deliberations, but it remains to be seen whether they will be able to come to a decision on the hepatitis B vaccine. One thing is clear, however: the meeting has highlighted the need for greater scientific rigor and expertise in shaping vaccine policy.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Kennedy Jr.'s role in selecting the panel has raised eyebrows among experts. "It's like handing a committee of novice amateur sleuths a pair of binoculars and telling them to start hunting for clues," said one expert. The consequences of this approach are being felt already, with critical vaccine recommendations hanging in the balance.