US Health Officials Overlooked Vast Data in Covid Vaccine Decision, Memos Reveal
Internal memos, made public through a lawsuit against the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), have exposed that officials had scant data behind their decision to end Covid vaccine recommendations for pregnant individuals and children. Critics argue that this move set a dangerous precedent, prioritizing ideology over evidence in vaccine policy changes.
Memos Overlook Hundreds of Studies
The memos, dated 12 May and circulated before the decision, reportedly missed 99% of the available data on Covid vaccination benefits and safety. Kevin Ault, an obstetrician and gynecologist who served as an expert for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) until outside representatives were excluded, expressed shock at the oversight. He described the process of assembling an evidence base via internal memos as "highly unusual" and lacking in rigorous scientific review.
Ideology Over Evidence in Policy Shifts
On 27 May, Robert F Kennedy Jr, the HHS secretary and a longtime vaccine opponent, unilaterally changed Covid vaccine recommendations via a social media post, stating that the vaccines would no longer be recommended for "healthy" children and pregnant people in the US. This action is part of a broader series of changes reshaping routine immunization recommendations in the country. Naima Joseph, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Boston Medical Center and former ACIP working group member, noted that the citations in the memos were "not evidence-based, but more like biased perspectives," putting the US out of step with international guidelines from organizations like the World Health Organization.
Safety and Benefits of Vaccination in Pregnancy
Despite the memos' claims, data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows no increased risk of short- or long-term complications from Covid vaccination during pregnancy. Joseph emphasized that the vaccine is "a very well-studied vaccine in pregnancy," with at least 258 studies demonstrating its safety and effectiveness. Conversely, Covid infection poses significant risks, including placenta infection, poor intrauterine growth, prematurity, stillbirth, and other complications. Vaccinated pregnant individuals have a lower risk of hospitalization, ICU admission, and pre-term delivery compared to unvaccinated ones.
Extended Benefits Beyond Birth
Vaccination in pregnancy offers protection that extends to newborns. Babies under six months cannot be vaccinated against Covid and have high hospitalization rates for the virus; maternal vaccination helps shield them from serious illness. Additionally, forgoing vaccines in pregnancy may lead to delayed or skipped vaccinations for infants, potentially disrupting the entire immunization process. Ault warned that confusion about maternal vaccines "can bleed over into the first year or two of vaccines for the newborn."
Children's Vaccination Under Scrutiny
Officials also targeted Covid vaccines for children in May, with a memo from Matt Memoli of the National Institutes of Health and Sara Brenner of the FDA claiming "no clear evidence" that benefits outweigh risks for those under 18. However, this memo cited at least one study acknowledging that Covid deaths in children had fallen significantly due to vaccination, while omitting other research showing vaccines reduce long-term symptoms, complications like myocarditis, and hospitalization rates.
ACIP Working Group Changes and Backlash
Under Kennedy's leadership, ACIP created a working group for vaccination in pregnancy in December, but excluded outside obstetric and gynecological experts who had previously been involved. This led to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) leaving the meetings, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recently announcing it would no longer participate. The HHS did not respond to inquiries about the memos' claims and their role in restricting vaccines by press time.
As the ACIP meets this week, concerns persist that further changes to vaccine recommendations may continue to overlook robust scientific evidence, potentially endangering public health.
