HHS To Shift The Way In Which New Vaccines Are Tested

The Washington Post (4/30, A1, Weber, Roubein, Johnson, Sun) reports that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “intends to shift the way vaccines are tested, a move that the agency said will increase transparency but that medical experts fear could limit access to vaccines and undermine the public’s trust in immunization depending on its implementation.” This “potential change outlined in a statement says all new vaccines will be required to undergo placebo testing...before the results are compared.” An HHS spokesperson said, “All new vaccines will undergo safety testing in placebo-controlled trials prior to licensure — a radical departure from past practices.”