Latest news with #SeanOLeary
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
US pediatricians criticize RFK Jr's new vaccine panel: ‘Truly an embarrassment'
Robert F Kennedy Jr's newly appointed vaccine advisory panel is facing criticism from pediatricians after its announcement of plans to reassess the current vaccination schedules for children and adolescents. Experts warn that the move appears designed to undermine public trust in immunization. The chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Infectious Diseases, Dr Sean O'Leary, said during a Wednesday press briefing that the rest of the world is looking at the US and its new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) 'in horror'. 'It is truly an embarrassment at this point, what's happening with ACIP,' said O'Leary. Related: RFK Jr's vaccine panel recommends new RSV treatment for infants While the new ACIP has instigated chaos among vaccine policy infrastructure during their Wednesday meeting, the AAP emphasized a need to continue a commitment to publishing independent, science-based vaccine guidelines. Wednesday marked the first ACIP meeting since health secretary Kennedy dismissed all 17 existing voting members and installed eight new ones, a group that reportedly lost one member before the meeting convened. Some of these new appointees have been associated with the spread of vaccine misinformation. The AAP representatives abstained from participating because they view the new ACIP as 'illegitimate'. The AAP's own meeting was scheduled to immediately follow the ACIP session, giving pediatric experts an opportunity to respond to the new committee's statements and direction. 'What we heard in this meeting was really a false narrative that the current vaccine policies are flawed and that they need fixing. That's completely false,' said O'Leary. 'Vaccine policies have saved millions of lives, trillions of dollars, and our immunization system is a model for the rest of the world.' Among the ACIP's early initiatives is a separate working group that plans to examine vaccines that have not undergone a recent review, specifically those not studied in over seven years. One vaccine that drew immediate attention is the hepatitis B birth dose. O'Leary criticized the focus on reviewing vaccine schedules, which he says 'has been an anti-vaccine trope for many, many years'. A schedule review 'sounds good at first glance, but the fact is, these vaccines are essentially always being reviewed in real time through a number of different mechanisms, safety surveillance mechanisms, as well as disease surveillance mechanisms', O'Leary said. 'The hepatitis B birth dose is one of the cornerstones of our hepatitis B prevention policy here in the US, and it has been highly successful in reducing the rate of perinatally acquired hepatitis B,' he added. An AAP article says that infants infected with hepatitis B at birth face a 90% likelihood of developing chronic infection. Without medical intervention, roughly 25% of those children will die from the disease. Kennedy's decision to overhaul the ACIP has sparked concern among medical professionals. The new panel's review includes vaccines like the MMR shot, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox), as well as the hepatitis B vaccine given at birth. 'We do still need to maintain higher coverage in the US of MMR, you're seeing the measles outbreaks in real time,' O'Leary said. 'We need to maintain very high measles vaccination coverage. And this ACIP discussion, to me, is designed to sow distrust in measles vaccination.' The US is now enduring the largest measles outbreak in decades. Centered in west Texas, the measles outbreak has killed two unvaccinated children and one adult and spread to neighboring states. Measles had been declared eliminated from the US in 2000, but it has been spreading in undervaccinated communities.
The Guardian
27-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Should Australia worry about RFK Jr's shock flu vaccine move?
An influential US vaccine panel has recommended against seasonal influenza vaccines containing a specific preservative, causing concern among medical and scientific experts who fear the decision may impact future vaccine availability. But what is the preservative, why is it the subject of controversy and will it affect vaccines in Australia? Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine sceptic and the United States' health secretary, overhauled the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP). He fired all 17 former members and appointed his ideological allies, some of whom have been associated with the spread of vaccine misinformation. The chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases, Dr Sean O'Leary, said the world was looking at the new ACIP 'in horror', and that it was 'truly an embarrassment'. On Friday (Australia time) ACIP voted to recommend against influenza vaccines containing thimerosal, known in Australia as thiomersal. Anti-vaxxers have long scaremongered about thiomersal, a vaccine preservative, even though it is safe and makes vaccines safer by preventing bacterial and fungal contamination. There are concerns the move could make vaccines more expensive and harder to get, and broader concerns are that ACIP's decision could fuel misinformation and vaccine hesitancy. Of the ACIP panel, five voted in favour, one abstained and Dr Cody Meissner, a paediatrics professor, was the sole 'no' vote. 'Removing thimerosal from all vaccines used in other countries … is going to reduce access to these vaccines, it will increase costs, and I think it's important to note that no study has ever indicated any harm from thimerosal,' he said. Thiomersal is a safe and effective preservative that is rarely, but sometimes, used in vaccines. It is contains ethylmercury, which is not to be confused with methylmercury, which accumulates in the body and has toxic effects. Ethylmercury, on the other hand, is more quickly converted in the body to inorganic mercury, then excreted. The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) says it has been used in very small amounts since the 1930s to prevent bacterial and fungal contamination, particularly in multi-dose vials where contamination is more likely. At about the same time as Andrew Wakefield's thoroughly debunked work that falsely linked vaccines with autism, a study on methylmercury (not ethylmercury, the one in thiomersal) came out. People falsely conflated the two types of mercury and linked it with Wakefield's false claims that vaccines were connected to autism. None of the vaccines listed on the National Immunisation Program use thiomersal. It is only present in the vaccine for Q fever, which is only recommended for people at risk through their contact with animals. Thiomersal has not been used in any of the vaccines routinely given to children in Australia since 2000. Dr Gary Grohmann, the former head of immunobiology evaluating vaccines at the Therapeutic Goods Administration, says Australia has one of the world's best vaccine programs and is 'pretty autonomous' from the US. Grohmann also worked for the World Health Organisation in Geneva as a virologist. He says thiomersal is generally not needed because Australia mostly uses single-dose vaccines that are not at the same risk of contamination as multi-dose vaccines. He says as well, out of an overabundance of caution and a concern with public perception, Australia decided not to use thiomersal even though it is safe. In part, Professor Julie Leask, a social researcher specialising in vaccination at the University of Sydney, says that may have done more harm in the end, by 'legitimising this idea' that it was harmful. Also, while there is no evidence of potential harm, there was a purely theoretical concern about higher intakes in premature babies with low birth weights, as well as a more general wish to reduce children's exposure to mercury. Leask says it will have 'very little impact on vaccine availability' in Australia. But there are other concerns. A speculative one, she says, is that vaccine manufacturers could get spooked by ACIP's move 'throwing shade' on thiomersal and remove funding for vaccine research using it. The far bigger problem she said, is the 'super-spreading of misinformation or distortion of evidence' to make vaccines look harmful, by the sort of expert committee we were meant to be able to trust. 'This anti-vax sentiment is now at this very high level in the US government, and that gives it a form of legitimacy that it's never really had before,' she says. 'We've never seen a western government so willing to undermine public confidence in vaccinations. I have never been so concerned about the propensity for vaccine confidence to be eroded by what's happening in the US right now.' Grohmann agrees. 'The biggest problem is disinformation, which stops people getting their children vaccinated,' he says. 'Then you might get outbreaks of measles, of whooping cough, in unvaccinated communities.' Leask says people should use their critical faculties to judge what they read, particularly online. 'When you seem to be bombarded with scary information about vaccines, often that is highly cherrypicked,' she says. 'Keep an eye on advice from Australia. 'You can still trust what you can read from authoritative sources in Australia, including NCIRS and the government.' Grohmann says as well as dismissing disinformation and fearmongering about rare side effects, people should understand the benefits of vaccines for saving lives and for the economy. Each dollar spent on vaccination saves $16, he says. 'There's a positive economic benefit in terms of hospitalisations, GP visits, parents not missing work, kids not missing school,' he says. His other advice is to 'listen to experts, not YouTubers'. 'We vaccinate for a reason,' he says. 'It's to stop people from dying.' And, Leask says, there will be interesting tussles in the US between those who know the evidence and those who would distort it. 'There are still heroes within US agencies who are fighting a quiet, internal battle to keep good evidence in the spotlight,' she says.
Al Arabiya
26-06-2025
- Health
- Al Arabiya
Thimerosal: What to Know About the Preservative From a Bygone Flu-Shot Debate
The Trump administration's vaccine advisers are bringing up an old flu-shot debate: whether it's time to wipe out the last small fraction of those vaccines that contain a controversial preservative called thimerosal. It's a question seemingly laid to rest years ago as studies showed no evidence that the preservative causes any health problems. 'This is really a nonissue,' said Dr. Sean O'Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics. 'Here are some things to know about the substance.' What is thimerosal? Thimerosal is a preservative used in certain vaccines since the 1930s, as well as in some other medical products. It was mostly used in multi-dose vials of vaccine to prevent bacterial contamination as the vessel was repeatedly punctured to withdraw a dose. Why is thimerosal controversial? Questions about thimerosal were raised in the late 1990s because it contains a form of mercury. It's not the same as the toxic type found in some seafood called methylmercury. 'Instead, it's a different type called ethylmercury that the body can excrete,' O'Leary explained. The amount of ethylmercury per vaccine dose was small, and studies found no evidence of harm. Nor was it used in all vaccines. For example, vaccines for chickenpox, polio, and measles, mumps, and rubella never contained it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But as a precaution, the US phased the preservative out of childhood vaccines. Since 2001, all vaccines routinely recommended for children age 6 and younger in the US come in formulas that don't contain thimerosal. The exception is a small subset of flu shot formulas in multi-dose vials that could be used for adults or kids. 'The vast majority of children, however, get their flu vaccination from a single-dose shot instead,' O'Leary said. According to the CDC, ninety-six percent of all flu vaccines in the US administered last fall and winter–and an even higher share of those used in federally funded programs–were thimerosal-free. Why is thimerosal being debated again? US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a longtime antivaccine activist, and he has long contended there was a tie between thimerosal and autism. On Thursday, his newly appointed vaccine advisers were set to hear a presentation from Lyn Redwood, a nurse practitioner who once ran the antivaccine group that Kennedy founded. She will suggest that the remaining thimerosal-containing flu shots should be removed, according to meeting materials posted earlier this week. Among the claims were that they could be a risk to pregnant women. A new CDC staff analysis prepared for the meeting again showed no link between the preservative and autism or any other neurodevelopmental disorders. Some experts note that autism rates rose after thimerosal was removed from young children's vaccines in the US.
The Independent
26-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Thimerosal: What to know about the preservative from a bygone flu-shot debate
The Trump administration's vaccine advisers are bringing up an old flu-shot debate: whether it's time to wipe out the last small fraction of those vaccines that contain a controversial preservative called thimerosal. It's a question seemingly laid to rest years ago, as studies showed no evidence that the preservative causes any health problems. 'This is really a nonissue,' said Dr. Sean O'Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Here are some things to know about the substance. What is thimerosal? Thimerosal is a preservative used in certain vaccines since the 1930s, as well as in some other medical products. It was mostly used in multi-dose vials of vaccine, to prevent bacterial contamination as the vessel was repeatedly punctured to withdraw a dose. Why is thimerosal controversial? Questions about thimerosal were raised in the late 1990s because it contains a form of mercury. It's not the same as the toxic type found in some seafood, called methylmercury. Instead, it's a different type called ethylmercury that the body can excrete, O'Leary explained. The amount of ethylmercury per vaccine dose was small and studies found no evidence of harm. Nor was it used in all vaccines. For example, vaccines for chickenpox, polio and measles, mumps and rubella never contained it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But as a precaution, the U.S. phased the preservative out of childhood vaccines. Since 2001, all vaccines routinely recommended for children age 6 and younger in the U.S. come in formulas that don't contain thimerosal. The exception is a small subset of flu shot formulas in multi-dose vials that could be used for adults or kids. The vast majority of children, however, get their flu vaccination from a single-dose shot instead, O'Leary said. According to the CDC, 96% of all flu vaccines in the U.S. administered last fall and winter — and an even higher share of those used in federally funded programs — were thimerosal-free. Why is thimerosal being debated again? U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a longtime antivaccine activist, and he has long contended there was a tie between thimerosal and autism. On Thursday, his newly appointed vaccine advisers were set to hear a presentation from Lyn Redwood, a nurse practitioner who once ran the antivaccine group that Kennedy founded. She will suggest that the remaining thimerosal-containing flu shots should be removed, according to meeting materials posted earlier this week. Among the claims were that they could be a risk to pregnant women. A new CDC staff analysis prepared for the meeting again showed no link between the preservative and autism or any other neurodevelopmental disorders. Some experts note that autism rates rose after thimerosal was removed from young children's vaccines in the U.S. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Thimerosal: What to know about the preservative from a bygone flu-shot debate
The Trump administration's vaccine advisers are bringing up an old flu-shot debate: whether it's time to wipe out the last small fraction of those vaccines that contain a controversial preservative called thimerosal. It's a question seemingly laid to rest years ago, as studies showed no evidence that the preservative causes any health problems. 'This is really a nonissue,' said Dr. Sean O'Leary of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Here are some things to know about the substance. What is thimerosal? Thimerosal is a preservative used in certain vaccines since the 1930s, as well as in some other medical products. It was mostly used in multi-dose vials of vaccine, to prevent bacterial contamination as the vessel was repeatedly punctured to withdraw a dose. Why is thimerosal controversial? Questions about thimerosal were raised in the late 1990s because it contains a form of mercury. It's not the same as the toxic type found in some seafood, called methylmercury. Instead, it's a different type called ethylmercury that the body can excrete, O'Leary explained. The amount of ethylmercury per vaccine dose was small and studies found no evidence of harm. Nor was it used in all vaccines. For example, vaccines for chickenpox, polio and measles, mumps and rubella never contained it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But as a precaution, the U.S. phased the preservative out of childhood vaccines. Since 2001, all vaccines routinely recommended for children age 6 and younger in the U.S. come in formulas that don't contain thimerosal. The exception is a small subset of flu shot formulas in multi-dose vials that could be used for adults or kids. The vast majority of children, however, get their flu vaccination from a single-dose shot instead, O'Leary said. According to the CDC, 96% of all flu vaccines in the U.S. administered last fall and winter — and an even higher share of those used in federally funded programs — were thimerosal-free. Why is thimerosal being debated again? U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a longtime antivaccine activist, and he has long contended there was a tie between thimerosal and autism. On Thursday, his newly appointed vaccine advisers were set to hear a presentation from Lyn Redwood, a nurse practitioner who once ran the antivaccine group that Kennedy founded. She will suggest that the remaining thimerosal-containing flu shots should be removed, according to meeting materials posted earlier this week. Among the claims were that they could be a risk to pregnant women. A new CDC staff analysis prepared for the meeting again showed no link between the preservative and autism or any other neurodevelopmental disorders. Some experts note that autism rates rose after thimerosal was removed from young children's vaccines in the U.S. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
