The US government has cancelled research studies on improving vaccine trust and access, a move that comes as the country faces a large measles outbreak fueled by unvaccinated children. Researchers with grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study vaccine hesitancy and barriers to vaccination are receiving letters cancelling their projects.
The NIH claims its policy is not to prioritize research on understanding why people are hesitant about vaccines or exploring ways to improve vaccine interest. However, experts disagree, arguing that such research is crucial for improving care and addressing public concerns.
“Vaccines clearly save lives,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “You can’t say you’re for vaccine safety without studying how people think about vaccines.” The move has raised concerns among researchers, who may see their careers threatened by the cancellation of grants that support promising young scientists.
This latest action against vaccine research comes after Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is now the nation’s health secretary, vowed to investigate the childhood vaccine schedule and postponed or canceled CDC and FDA meetings with independent vaccine advisers.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/vaccine-trump-research-cuts-nih-e6d7d79bdf08375b826b06d14f856cf7