ACIP Panel To Discuss Vaccine Injuries, Long COVID In March, Vote On Recommendation Changes
Updated
The next ACIP vaccine advisory meeting is scheduled for March 18 and 19 to discuss three topics – COVID-19 vaccine injuries, long COVID, and ACIP recommendation methodology. Votes may be scheduled during the two-day session for any of these three topics, which may include narrowed recommendations for the COVID-19 vaccines based upon evidence of injuries caused by the mRNA injections. The federal register notice doesn’t mention any specific votes that will take place.
CDC currently recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for everyone over 6 months of age, “based on individual-based decision making” in October after adopting the ACIP recommendations from the September meeting. Before the update last fall, the CDC routinely recommended the vaccine for everyone, but now it recommends that each person consult their health care provider to make a shared decision based on their individual health profile.
Currently, there are 1,032,458 reports to VAERS reporting adverse side effects from COVID-19 vaccines, and a total of over 4.3 million side effects. The highest reported symptoms are mild, including headache, pyrexia, fatigue, pain, chills, and COVID-19 infection. There are 15,499 deaths currently reported to the system. There are 54,687 reports of dyspnoea, which is shortness of breath.
Dr. Vinay Prasad, the FDA Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), wrote a letter in December stating, “It is horrifying to consider that the US vaccine regulation, including our actions, may have harmed more children than we saved. This requires humility and introspection.” The statement came after the Office of Biostatistics and Pharmacovigilance (OPBV) examined 96 cases of death that were reported to VAERS in relation to the COVID-19 vaccines. The review concluded that 10 out of the 96 were likely or probably caused by the vaccines.
Dr. Prasad noted that the reviewers used conservative coding to reach that conclusion and said the actual number is higher. ACIP Member Dr. Robert Malone said the data and evidence uncovered during the investigation were shocking and “politically explosive,” but said he is embargoed from speaking on the details. It is unclear whether the details from this investigation will be revealed during the two-day ACIP meeting in March.
Last summer, the FDA required Moderna and Pfizer BioNTech mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to include a warning label reflecting an increased risk of myocarditis – specifically 27 cases per million doses for males aged 12 to 24 and 8 cases per million for those 6 months of age through 64 years of age. VAERS currently contains 3,256 reports of myocarditis.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Trump administration are facing a lawsuit from over a dozen state attorneys general over modifications to the CDC vaccine schedule and the ACIP vaccine advisory group. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro wrote, “Donald Trump and RFK Jr.’s blatant disregard for science threatens public health and erodes trust in our institutions. My Administration will continue to rely on qualified experts like the American Academy of Pediatrics to lead the guidance Pennsylvanians receive to keep themselves and their families healthy.”
HHS Rapid Response shot back on X, “This is a publicity stunt dressed up as a lawsuit. By law, the health secretary has clear authority to make determinations on the CDC immunization schedule and the composition of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The CDC immunization schedule reforms reflect common-sense public health policy shared by peer, developed countries.”
Many state governors and health departments have vowed to follow AAP vaccine recommendations on the claim that its recommendations are backed by science, while those recommended by the CDC and ACIP are politically motivated. The AAP lists organizational partnerships with Merck, Pfizer, Moderna, GlaxoSmithKline, and Sanofi, which manufacture the vaccines that are recommended on the childhood schedule.
Long COVID
The HighWire has reported on post-vaccine syndrome and research that indicates it has the same symptoms as long COVID. This has led to speculation that long COVID cases may actually be vaccine injury being treated as a COVID-19 infection. The NIH under the Biden administration poured over $1.6 billion into studying long COVID, but put minimal dollars into studying vaccine injuries.
The PVS study conducted by Yale researchers found that some people had elevated levels of the spike protein more than 2 years after vaccination. Earlier research presented by Jefferey Jaxen on The HighWire showed that 37% of people had detectable mRNA levels up to 14-15 days post-vaccination.
Secretary Kennedy has drawn attention to inefficiency, favoritism, and outright corruption within the vaccine injury compensation program and has vowed to work with Attorney General Pam Bondi to reform it as Congress intended. In January, two members of the vaccine injury advisory group were removed. Secretary Kennedy and HHS did not make any public statements regarding the two individuals who were released.
Veronica McNally is one of the individuals who was released from the vaccine injury advisory group. She is also the founder of IVaccinate.org and the Fanny Strong Foundation, both of which advocate and promote vaccination.
The ACIP panel will discuss COVID-19 vaccine injuries, long COVID, and ACIP recommendation methodologies at its March hearing. The public has the ability to comment on the topics in the Federal Register. No specific details have been provided regarding any presenters for the hearing or potential votes.