March 11 - A major U.S. federal vaccine advisory panel has dropped an initiative that would have challenged the recommendation of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, according to a news report that cited two people familiar with the situation. The effort, associated with some advisers aligned with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., had contemplated moving toward not recommending mRNA shots, but that course is no longer proceeding, the report said.
The Department of Health and Human Services, which has oversight responsibility for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, did not immediately provide comment outside regular working hours when asked. The CDC's advisory group is scheduled to convene next week and is expected to issue recommendations regarding which vaccines Americans should receive and on what schedule.
Under Secretary Kennedy's direction, HHS took steps in August of last year to wind down mRNA vaccine development work within its biomedical research unit. Kennedy, long known as a vocal critic of vaccines, has said that "the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections like COVID and flu," a position the report notes stands in opposition to scientific findings cited elsewhere.
The mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna do not contain live or inactivated virus. Instead, they deliver genetic instructions that prompt cells to produce a viral protein component, which in turn stimulates the immune system to build protection.
Separately, an investment tool referenced in the material posed the question of whether investors should be buying shares of Pfizer (ticker: PFE) at the current time, describing an AI-driven evaluation process that screens companies using a broad set of financial measures. That investment commentary is distinct from the advisory-panel developments described above.
Context for readers:
- The advisory panel has halted a push to remove endorsement of mRNA COVID vaccines.
- HHS leadership earlier moved to wind down mRNA vaccine research inside its biomedical unit.
- The CDC advisors will meet next week to deliberate on vaccine recommendations.