Ahead of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) meeting on May 28, the Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) — a coalition of 15 governors from every region of the U.S. — submitted a comment letter urging the Committee to maintain evidence-based decision making and transparent, deliberative public processes to maintain trust in vaccine recommendations and ensure people across the country continue to have access to safe and effective vaccines.
“The strength of public health guidance depends on scientific integrity, transparency, and public trust,” said Angela Botticella, Managing Director of the Governors Public Health Alliance. “Governors across the country rely on credible, evidence-based recommendations to protect their communities and ensure families can make informed decisions about vaccination.”
PHA’s letter also raises concerns about recent reports that FDA officials blocked publication of agency-led studies involving millions of patient records that reportedly found serious side effects from COVID-19 vaccines to be rare.
“Suppressing taxpayer-funded scientific findings undermines confidence in FDA processes and puts public health at risk,” Botticella said. “All relevant evidence should be available to inform FDA deliberations, and the public deserves full transparency about the science guiding these recommendations.”
PHA urged the Advisory Committee to continue relying on established scientific methods and evidence evaluation frameworks, including transparent Benefit-Risk Assessments (BRA), as the Committee reviews the COVID-19 vaccine formula for the upcoming respiratory virus season.
The full letter submitted to VRBPAC can be found here.
About the Governors Public Health Alliance
The Governors Public Health Alliance (PHA) is a nonpartisan coalition of governors – representing nearly one in three people in the U.S. – working together to strengthen public health systems, protect access to evidence-based care, and coordinate responses to health threats across state lines. An initiative of GovAct, the Alliance brings together governors and senior state officials to share best practices, reinforce scientific integrity, and ensure communities receive clear, credible health information. To learn more, go to www.GovsforHealth.org.
About GovAct
Governors Action Alliance (GovAct) is a nonprofit nonpartisan initiative that helps governors work across state lines to champion fundamental freedoms and improve people’s lives. GovAct serves as a central platform for collaboration across governors’ offices—incubating, launching, and supporting alliances of governors. These alliances share cutting-edge policy and legal approaches to some of the most challenging and critical issues we face. To learn more, go to www.GovActAlliance.org.