Public health officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently made an admission during a congressional hearing on February 15th. They acknowledged that individuals who have received the COVID-19 vaccine can still contract and transmit the virus. This revelation raises questions about the effectiveness of the vaccine and why COVID is listed as a vaccine-preventable disease by the CDC.
During the hearing, Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) asked if the COVID-19 vaccine prevents people from transmitting the virus. Dr. Peter Marks, the director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the FDA, responded that while there is some data suggesting a reduction in transmission, it does not completely prevent it. Dr. Marks emphasized that the primary benefit of the vaccine is its ability to prevent severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths.
Dr. Daniel Jernigan, the director of CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, agreed with Dr. Marks' statement after Rep. Cloud repeated the question multiple times. He explained that when the CDC refers to COVID as a vaccine-preventable disease, it means that the vaccine offers significant benefits in terms of preventing severe outcomes rather than completely eradicating the virus.
The admission from these officials highlights a crucial point: no pharmaceutical product, including vaccines, can be considered entirely safe or effective. This sentiment was echoed by Dr. George Reed Grimes, the director of the division of injury compensation programs at the Health Resources and Services Administration, who emphasized that no medication can guarantee absolute safety and efficacy.
However, it is essential to be cautious with the wording surrounding these vaccines. While health officials may describe them as safe and effective, it is crucial to understand that these terms are relative and can be misleading to the general public. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), chairman of the subcommittee, expressed concern over the potential misinterpretation of these terms by individuals at home.
To address concerns about vaccine safety, Dr. Jernigan highlighted the rigorous monitoring systems in place for COVID-19 vaccines. He specifically mentioned the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which allows anyone to report symptoms they believe are associated with the vaccine. While VAERS is used to identify trends and potential adverse events, it is not the primary dataset for determining causality or the overall impact of the vaccine.
Dr. Jernigan also mentioned four other databases used for monitoring vaccine safety: Vaccine Safety Datalink, a pregnancy monitoring system, a smartphone-based app called VSafe, and a clinician immunization safety assessment program. These databases, along with VAERS, contribute to comprehensive surveillance of COVID-19 vaccine safety.
Despite these monitoring systems, concerns have been raised about the responsiveness of VAERS and the accuracy of its data. Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) highlighted cases where individuals who experienced adverse events after vaccination had not received a response from VAERS or the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP). Dr. Jernigan acknowledged the limitations of VAERS and emphasized that it is not the dataset used to determine causality.
The CICP, established in 2010, handles compensation claims for adverse events related to vaccines purchased and distributed by the federal government under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act. Unlike the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), which compensates individuals through a trust fund, COVID vaccine injuries cannot be compensated through VICP. As of January 1st, there have been 13,406 CICP claims filed, with 12,854 claims specifically related to COVID-19 vaccines.
Dr. Grimes, the director of the injury compensation program, stated that less than 0.01 percent of all vaccinations result in vaccine adverse events. However, the increasing number of compensation claims after 2020 has led to a significant increase in staff evaluating these claims. Currently, 2,000 claims have been processed, and 40 cases have been linked to vaccination.
It is important to note that the evaluation process for compensation claims can be lengthy. Rep. Dr. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) estimated that it could take ten years to evaluate the current backlog of cases fully.
