FDA links 10 children’s deaths to COVID-19 vaccines. Doctors want proof
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) top vaccine chief has announced a stricter review and approval protocol for vaccine trials. Dr. Vinay Prasad, in a memo released on Friday, revealed that a new review of records has linked 10 children’s deaths to the Covid vaccine.
The memo stated, “These deaths are related to vaccination (likely/probable/possible attribution made by staff.” However, no details on how these conclusions were reached were provided in the memo, and they have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
The memo was first reported by a PBS Newshour correspondent and later made available online by the Washington Post. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, in an interview with Fox News, stated that the agency would make information on deaths related to the coronavirus vaccine available, which he claimed the Biden administration had not done.
Regarding booster shots, Makary emphasized the importance of data-driven decisions, stating, “It makes a mockery of science if we’re just going to rubber-stamp things with no data.” However, he did acknowledge that the COVID-19 vaccine had been effective for older recipients.
Many public health experts have raised concerns about the findings in the memo. Dorit Reiss, a professor of law at UC Law San Francisco, criticized Prasad for suggesting changes to the approval process based on unpublished investigations. Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, also questioned the FDA’s conclusions, stating that the memo lacked essential medical data to support the link between deaths and Covid vaccines.
Overall, the statement from the FDA has sparked controversy and raised concerns among experts, who fear that it could fuel anti-vaccine sentiment and further politicize an issue that should be based on scientific evidence. It is essential for regulatory agencies to provide transparent and evidence-based information to ensure public trust in vaccination programs.
