FDA chief says trust in U.S. health advice has eroded : NPR
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration campus in Silver Spring, Maryland, is seen October 14.
Andrew Harnik/AP
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Andrew Harnik/AP
FDA Commissioner Martin Makary said the government must demonstrate greater humility and be more transparent if it hopes to restore public trust in its health guidelines, which he says have been seriously eroded since the pandemic.
In an interview with NPR’s Steve Inskeep, Makary addressed the recent controversy surrounding an FDA memo citing rare reports of child deaths linked to COVID-19 vaccinations. He said the information was not new but had not been made public, and argued that authorities had not communicated clearly about how risks varied based on age and underlying health conditions, even though vaccines were saving many lives.
“The most dangerous thing you can do in medicine is to make a recommendation with such absolutism when the data is really fragile,” Makary said.
According to Makary, the FDA applies basic scientific thresholds to vaccines, including its decision not to approve an mRNA-based flu vaccine that showed no benefit in late-stage trials. He also said that the hepatitis B vaccine remains recommended, but that insisting that it be administered within hours of birth for infants born to hepatitis B-negative mothers reflects an “absolutism” that can undermine trust, and that flexibility is warranted where science supports it.
Listen to the full conversation by clicking the blue play button above. Makary also appeared on the program Friday to discuss testosterone treatments. You can find this interview here.
The radio interview was produced and edited by Adam Bearne and Lilly Quiroz. Web copy was written by Majd Al-Waheidi and edited by Obed Manuel.
