US FDA official sparks alarm with memo on Covid vaccine deaths
The top vaccines official in the US, Vinay Prasad, has sent a highly unusual memo to staff claiming that at least 10 children have died from Covid vaccination. The memo's tone and language have raised concerns among experts who fear that the move could lead to fewer vaccines being developed and more vaccine-preventable illnesses.
Prasad's memo states that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will acknowledge for the first time that Covid vaccines have killed American children, leaving many questions unanswered about the deaths. The official did not provide any evidence to support his claims or explain how the agency plans to change its regulations.
The move has been met with skepticism by experts who point out that there is no credible evidence to link Covid vaccination to child deaths. Dr Paul Offit, an infectious diseases physician at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said: "When you make that kind of sensational claim, I think it's incumbent upon you to provide evidence that supports that claim. He didn't supply any evidence."
The FDA has a long history of rigorous testing and approval processes for vaccines, but Prasad's memo appears to be a departure from this approach. The official claimed that the agency would no longer require randomized trials showing clinical outcomes, which has raised concerns among experts who argue that this could lead to fewer vaccines being developed.
"This is highly unusual," said Dr Dan Jernigan, former director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. "I just have never seen anything like this."
The move has also sparked concern about public trust in vaccines, which are safe and effective but may face increased scrutiny as a result of Prasad's claims.
In reality, the Covid vaccines have been administered to millions of people around the world and have been shown to be safe and effective. The US FDA has a strong track record of approving vaccines that have undergone rigorous testing and have been proven to be safe and effective.
The White House has not responded to questions about Prasad's claims, but officials at the CDC have emphasized the importance of reporting any adverse events following vaccination. However, experts argue that Prasad's approach is misguided and could undermine confidence in vaccines.
"This is so dangerous and irresponsible," said Dr Offit. "Children are getting hospitalized and children are still dying from this virus."
The FDA has announced plans to revise its annual flu vaccine framework, including the use of surrogate assays to understand how well the vaccines work. However, experts argue that conducting new trials each year would be impractical and could lead to fewer vaccines being developed.
In reality, the development of Covid vaccines under the first Trump administration was "one of the greatest scientific and medical advances in our lifetime," said Dr Offit. To now question their safety is not only unfounded but also irresponsible.
The move by Prasad has raised concerns among experts who fear that it could undermine confidence in vaccines and lead to fewer vaccines being developed. The FDA's approach to vaccine regulation has always been rigorous and evidence-based, and any changes should be made with careful consideration of the evidence.
The top vaccines official in the US, Vinay Prasad, has sent a highly unusual memo to staff claiming that at least 10 children have died from Covid vaccination. The memo's tone and language have raised concerns among experts who fear that the move could lead to fewer vaccines being developed and more vaccine-preventable illnesses.
Prasad's memo states that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will acknowledge for the first time that Covid vaccines have killed American children, leaving many questions unanswered about the deaths. The official did not provide any evidence to support his claims or explain how the agency plans to change its regulations.
The move has been met with skepticism by experts who point out that there is no credible evidence to link Covid vaccination to child deaths. Dr Paul Offit, an infectious diseases physician at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said: "When you make that kind of sensational claim, I think it's incumbent upon you to provide evidence that supports that claim. He didn't supply any evidence."
The FDA has a long history of rigorous testing and approval processes for vaccines, but Prasad's memo appears to be a departure from this approach. The official claimed that the agency would no longer require randomized trials showing clinical outcomes, which has raised concerns among experts who argue that this could lead to fewer vaccines being developed.
"This is highly unusual," said Dr Dan Jernigan, former director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. "I just have never seen anything like this."
The move has also sparked concern about public trust in vaccines, which are safe and effective but may face increased scrutiny as a result of Prasad's claims.
In reality, the Covid vaccines have been administered to millions of people around the world and have been shown to be safe and effective. The US FDA has a strong track record of approving vaccines that have undergone rigorous testing and have been proven to be safe and effective.
The White House has not responded to questions about Prasad's claims, but officials at the CDC have emphasized the importance of reporting any adverse events following vaccination. However, experts argue that Prasad's approach is misguided and could undermine confidence in vaccines.
"This is so dangerous and irresponsible," said Dr Offit. "Children are getting hospitalized and children are still dying from this virus."
The FDA has announced plans to revise its annual flu vaccine framework, including the use of surrogate assays to understand how well the vaccines work. However, experts argue that conducting new trials each year would be impractical and could lead to fewer vaccines being developed.
In reality, the development of Covid vaccines under the first Trump administration was "one of the greatest scientific and medical advances in our lifetime," said Dr Offit. To now question their safety is not only unfounded but also irresponsible.
The move by Prasad has raised concerns among experts who fear that it could undermine confidence in vaccines and lead to fewer vaccines being developed. The FDA's approach to vaccine regulation has always been rigorous and evidence-based, and any changes should be made with careful consideration of the evidence.
I'm totally baffled by this memo from Vinay Prasad. 10 kids dying from Covid vaccination? No credible evidence provided whatsoever 
. This is like playing a game of vaccine roulette where lives are at stake 
. The FDA's rigorous testing process has always been the gold standard, and now they're throwing that out the window? 
It's alarming to think about the potential consequences – more vaccine-preventable illnesses and fewer vaccines being developed due to reduced confidence in their safety 
.
. The White House is staying mum on this one, which isn't helping matters 
. Dr Offit's right – this approach is not only misguided but also irresponsible 
.
. We can't just make sweeping claims without supporting data 
. The FDA's track record speaks for itself – they've always put the safety and efficacy of vaccines first 
. Let's hope this memo is an anomaly and not a harbinger of things to come 
.
. Anyway, this whole vaccine thing has me thinking about how we used to not worry so much about germs before vaccines came out 
. I know vaccines save lives but sometimes I wonder if they're not a little overused 
. I mean, Vinay Prasad's memo is basically saying that Covid vaccines are killing kids and they're not gonna do any more trials to prove it, but... where's the proof? 
That's not how science works, you need evidence before making claims that big.
. We can't just let fear take over and start questioning everything we thought we knew about vaccines. That's not how progress works, we need to move forward with caution and science 
.
. I mean, 10 kids dying from Covid vaccines? That's like, a lot of people 
. And what about all the other vaccine-preventable illnesses that could be swept under the rug because of this 
? It's just not right 
.
.
. We can't let fear and misinformation get in the way of saving lives 
.
This guy Prasad is totally outta line 
No credible evidence = no credibility 
. Vaccines have been around for decades, people! 
They've saved countless lives 
and prevented the spread of so many diseases 
. We can't just sit here and watch him dismantle this safety net 
? No way 
. Prasad needs to get his facts straight and stop making reckless claims 
. Vaccines are safe, effective, and life-saving 
!
We need to focus on getting more vaccines developed and protecting people from preventable illnesses, not sowing doubt and fear. 
. I know it's a lot to take in, but I believe in the power of vaccines & I'll keep spreading the word 
. i mean i know vaccines are safe and effective but this is just a huge leap of faith 
. otherwise, we're gonna be stuck with more unvax'd kids getting sick and dying 
and now we're gonna have fewer vaccines developed because of this? 
... and what about all those people who got vaccinated? did they die from something else or was it really the vaccine? 
. It's one thing to acknowledge that some people might have had bad reactions but another thing entirely to claim that Covid vaccine is killing kids straight up 
. But if we start questioning the safety of vaccines left and right, who's gonna actually get vaccinated when we need it most? 
At the same time, though, I totally trust the FDA and I know they'd never just make something up without evidence... right?