US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all members of a federal vaccine advisory panel in June, citing financial conflicts of interest among its 17 members. However, new research published in JAMA suggests that the percentage of financial conflicts of interest (COIs) among these members was significantly lower than previously claimed.
According to the researchers, an average of 6.2% of ACIP members reported COIs at any given meeting since 2016, while only 1.9% of VRBPAC members reported COIs during the same period. The study also found that financial COIs among ACIP and VRBPAC have been declining over time, with significant reductions in COI prevalence from the early 2000s to 2024.
In a statement, Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and former FDA commissioner, said “Secretary Kennedy is right that conflict of interest is an important issue, but he is wrong that it is present at substantial levels on HHS vaccine advisory committees.” Genevieve Kanter, lead author of the study, added that while COIs remain a concern, they have been at historically low levels for quite some time.
The researchers used a database of CDC disclosures to obtain financial COIs for each ACIP meeting held from 2000 through 2024. They also obtained waivers to include COIs among VRBPAC members with “essential expertise” despite reported conflicts listed on the FDA website or Freedom of Information Act requests.
Overall, the study suggests that HHS vaccine advisory committees have made significant progress in reducing financial COIs since the early 2000s. However, continued vigilance is necessary to ensure public confidence in vaccine science and recommendations.
Source: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/adult-non-flu-vaccines/despite-rfk-jr-claims-conflicts-interest-among-federal-vaccine-advisers-very