CDC Criticized for Lack of Transparency and Data Gaps at COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Meeting

On October 11, 2024, an ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened to evaluate the CDC Immunization Safety Office (ISO) systems and processes for monitoring COVID-19 vaccine safety during the U.S. vaccination program. The committee's objective was to assess the statistical and epidemiological methods used to detect and evaluate safety issues with vaccines, catalog findings from safety monitoring, and evaluate the CDC&rsquo;s communication of vaccine safety to healthcare professionals and the public. During the CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Research and Communications Meeting, experts, researchers, and advocates raised concerns about the agency's approach to vaccine safety.




Key themes included insufficient transparency, a lack of independent oversight, and inadequate attention to diverse populations. Speakers emphasized that the CDC&rsquo;s failure to clearly communicate vaccine risks and benefits has weakened public trust. Many called for more independent assessments, greater transparency in sharing vaccine safety data, and more nuanced public health messaging that better reflects the diverse risks across different demographic groups.



