Trump administration to launch new vaccine research centre
Health secretary Robert Kennedy Jr announces studies into rare vaccine side effects as the country faces its worst measles outbreak in 35 years.
In a move aimed at improving vaccine safety, the Trump administration has announced plans to establish a new vaccine research center. Robert Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary and vaccine skeptic, revealed the initiative on Thursday, stating that the center would focus on studying rare adverse effects of vaccines and addressing patient concerns.
Despite lacking formal medical training, Kennedy was appointed by President Donald Trump, drawing criticism from the World Health Organization and medical experts. The WHO emphasizes that vaccines are crucial in preventing up to five million deaths annually from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, influenza, and measles. However, serious adverse effects of vaccines remain extremely rare and are continuously monitored by health officials to ensure that the benefits outweigh the risks.
Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, emphasized that while studying vaccine safety is essential, the country already has systems in place to monitor any adverse events associated with vaccination. Kennedy believes that the new effort will help build a health system that follows evidence and uses the knowledge gained to make vaccines safer, ultimately restoring trust in public health institutions.
The announcement comes amid significant budget cuts to the federal health department and a severe measles outbreak in the United States, with the highly contagious illness making a strong comeback in recent years among unvaccinated populations. In Pennsylvania, local authorities reported five measles-related deaths in 2022 alone.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
