Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Sarah Owermohle
Published on 2024-02-15 20:26:31
The recent hearing before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic was focused on vaccine safety claims, as the U.S. faces declining confidence in routine vaccinations and the spread of Covid-19 misinformation. The hearing aimed to address the global drop in vaccinations, including routine childhood inoculations. According to a report by the World Health Organization, the Covid-19 pandemic has contributed to the largest continued backslide in vaccinations in three decades.
Surveys have shown a steady decline in Americans’ belief in vaccine safety during the pandemic, with 71% expressing skepticism about the safety of approved shots. One of the reasons for vaccine hesitancy is attributed to the dissemination of murky information by the federal government, especially during the initial stages of the pandemic. Some Republicans on the committee suggested that the government’s vaccine outreach was poorly managed, leading to public confusion and a lack of trust in official communications.
However, the hearing was not without controversy. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) criticized the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for rushing through the authorization process for vaccines and downplayed the risk of Covid-19 for children. She also accused officials of disregarding thousands of claims that vaccines had caused serious harm to Americans. These allegations were later addressed by Peter Marks, the FDA vaccine chief, who emphasized the necessity of vaccinations for children, citing the deaths of unvaccinated children due to Covid-19.
The hearing also focused on the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and the compensation program for vaccine-related injuries. It was revealed that out of roughly 13,000 claims filed for compensation, the office had closed 2,000 cases in 2023, with only 40 of those deemed eligible for compensation. There were also concerns about the capacity and efficiency of the compensation office, with calls for better communication and faster resolution of claims.
Some Republicans expressed skepticism about the government’s handling of vaccine injury claims, questioning the role of the health department’s Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program in adjudicating Covid-19 vaccine claims. The hearing ended with Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) emphasizing the importance of transparent vaccine messaging and the need to address partisan debates about vaccine misinformation.
The hearing highlighted the challenges of maintaining public trust in vaccine safety and effectiveness, as well as the government’s response to vaccine-related injuries. It underscored the need for improved communication, transparency, and efficient handling of vaccine injury claims to restore public confidence in vaccination efforts.
