US Food and Drug Administration campus in Silver Spring, Maryland, on October 14.
Andrew Harnik/AP
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Andrew Harnik/AP
FDA Commissioner Martin Macari said the government must show more humility and be more transparent if it hopes to restore public trust in its health recommendations, which he said has been badly damaged in the wake of the pandemic.
In an interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep, Macari addressed the recent controversy over an FDA memo that cited rare reports of infant deaths associated with COVID-19 vaccinations. He said the information was not new but had not been made public, and said officials had failed to clearly explain how risks varied by age and underlying health conditions, even though vaccines have saved many lives.
“The most dangerous thing you can do in medicine is make recommendations with such absolutism when the data is truly unreliable,” Makary said.
The FDA applies basic scientific thresholds to vaccines, including its decision not to approve an mRNA flu shot that showed no benefit in late-stage trials, Makary said. He also said the hepatitis B vaccine is still recommended, but insisting the vaccine be given within hours of birth to babies born to hepatitis B-negative mothers reflects “absolutism” that could undermine trust, and that flexibility is warranted where the science supports it.
Listen to the full conversation by clicking the blue play button above. Macarius also appeared on the program on Friday to discuss testosterone treatment. You can find this interview Here.
Radio interview produced and edited by Adam Byrne and Lilly Quiroz. Web copy was written by Majd Al-Wahidi and edited by Obed Manuel.
