Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Posts ‘Conflicts of Interest’ Database on Vaccine Panel Members
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a webpage listing information about current and former members of its independent vaccine advisory committee, including what it describes as conflicts of interest.
The new database was announced by the agency in a post on Friday morning. The website provides information on the members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which includes pediatricians, epidemiologists, public health experts, and geriatricians who are selected by the health secretary following an application and vetting process.
Much of the information on the members of the committee is already publicly available, including their previous work on clinical trials. The panel regularly meets several times a year to recommend who should get vaccines that are already approved, including the schedule for childhood vaccinations, or review data. Neither the CDC nor the committee mandate vaccination.
The CDC’s new list includes the names of members, the dates they served, and what the agency describes as conflicts of interest, such as previous work as a principal investigator for clinical trials funded by drug companies or whose institution received a grant from the industry.
Taking Aim at ACIP
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has vowed to increase “radical transparency” at the federal health agencies. However, it was not immediately clear how the webpage would accomplish that.
Arthur Caplan, head of the division of medical ethics at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, said the database could be used to sow doubt about the advice given by ACIP, giving a false appearance that members have strong ties to the industry. He noted that it’s nearly impossible to find anyone with this kind of expertise who doesn’t have an apparent conflict of interest.
Managing Conflicts of Interest
Caplan said, “Many people have conflicts. You’ll find huge numbers of them in the Trump administration. The way you deal with them is not just to say, ‘No one can have them.’ You have to manage them.”
Caplan noted that it’s standard practice for ACIP members with industry ties to recuse themselves from participating in certain meetings. The committee chair also calls for conflict of interest disclosures at the start of each meeting.
Reaction from Health Experts
Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, was critical of the move, saying it represents Kennedy’s “basic belief that Big Pharma has had undue influence on vaccine policy decisions.” He added, “There is not a single shred of evidence showing that is true.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the purpose of the new database?
A: The database provides information on the members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), including their previous work on clinical trials and conflicts of interest.
Q: What kind of information is included in the database?
A: The database includes the names of members, the dates they served, and what the agency describes as conflicts of interest, such as previous work as a principal investigator for clinical trials funded by drug companies or whose institution received a grant from the industry.
Q: How will the database increase “radical transparency” at the federal health agencies?
A: It was not immediately clear how the webpage would accomplish that.
Q: What is the role of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)?
A: The panel regularly meets several times a year to recommend who should get vaccines that are already approved, including the schedule for childhood vaccinations, or review data. Neither the CDC nor the committee mandate vaccination.
