Despite Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s pledge to provide “radical transparency,” the agencies under his control continue to suppress scientific research that conflicts with his anti-vaccine agenda.
On Tuesday, The New York Times reported confirmation from the Department of Health and Human Services that the Food and Drug Administration had blocked the publication of studies showing the safety and efficacy of vaccines against COVID-19 and shingles. The revelation follows a report from The Washington Post last month that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scrapped a scientifically vetted study previously scheduled for publication that found COVID-19 vaccines sharply cut the risk of emergency care and hospitalization among healthy adults. The study was ultimately rejected by Kennedy’s acting CDC director, who claimed to have concerns about the study’s methodology.
Similarly at the FDA, two studies on COVID-19 vaccines by agency scientists were accepted for publication at medical journals, according to the Times. But unnamed FDA officials directed the agency scientists to withdraw the studies. While a preliminary abstract of one of the studies presented at a conference last fall remains online, the Times obtained a copy of the full manuscript, the conclusion of which reads, “Given the available evidence, FDA continues to conclude the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks.”
In addition, the Times learned that FDA officials did not allow agency scientists to submit two abstracts for studies on Shingrix, a shingles vaccine, to a major drug safety conference. The studies reportedly bolstered known efficacy and safety data of the vaccines.
HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said in a statement that the axed COVID studies “were withdrawn because the authors drew broad conclusions that were not supported by the underlying data. The FDA acted to protect the integrity of its scientific process and ensure that any work associated with the agency meets its high standards.”
Of the shingles study looking at efficacy, he said, “The design of that study fell outside the agency’s purview.” Nixon did not address why the Shingrix safety study was withheld.
