ACIP Struggles to Find Language to Use for Path Forward Re: COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters

They are focused on "Language" rather than "Science" - all the while denying serious harm in the face of mountains of injuries

"We should not chase the rainbows" of preventing transmission, infection, or even mild disease. (Attributed to Sarah Long, MD, of Drexel University in Philadelphia by Medpage Today).

Watching the ACIP unwittingly make all of the arguments many of us have made from the beginning is painful - mostly because they are pitching for a continuation of useless vaccines while denying the evidence of harm.

“We need to be thinking about how to make a ‘better’ vaccine”

So-called “fact-checker” websites must be rushing to edit old articles where they claimed (incorrectly) to “correct” claims that the vaccines were failing, because Lynn Bahta, RN, of the Minnesota Department of Health in Saint Paul is saying what others have said, in her own words: these vaccines from Pfizer and Modern have failed.

The exact quote, per Medpage Today, was "It feels inevitable, as if this is going to be ongoing," said Lynn Bahta, RN, of the Minnesota Department of Health in Saint Paul. "We need to be thinking about how to make a better vaccine."

Why does the continuation of the COVID-19 “feel” inevitable?

And are “feelings of inevitability” sufficient evidence to continue to tout failed vaccines?

The “Captain Obvious” award goes to Beth Bell, MD, of the University of Washington in Seattle, who stated that multiple boosters give "the impression that the vaccines aren't effective."

Um, not “an impression”. The need for multiple boosters present cold, hard empirical evidence that CDC can’t manipulate.

Also according to Medpage Today:

“While data presented by CDC staff showed modest benefits of boosters, they also did not reveal any additional harms. Incidence of vaccine-associated myocarditis and pericarditis were lower than after the primary series, and there was no evidence of "immune tolerance," where additional COVID vaccines led to lower antibody levels or T-cell exhaustion.”

Wait just a minute.

If there is no T-cell exhaustion, then there is likely no problem with memory B-cells, right? And if so, then WHY BOOSTERS?

Oh, that’s right. Antibodies drop. Like they always do.

I’m going to offer the IPAK-EDU Biology of Immunology course for free to all ACIP members.

More from Medpage Today:

“There was also no evidence of "imprinting," or that exposure to one strain "primes B-cell memory and limits the development of memory B cells and neutralizing antibodies against new strains," Oliver added. She pointed to data that showed a ‘diverse response’ to a number of variants following a booster dose, whether it was targeting the ancestral strain or other variants.”

The problem is you don’t need a “diverse response” to a number of variants’ spike proteins. You need a diverse response to all variants other immunogenic proteins, something boosters using spike-protein-only vaccines can never give.

Then, according to Medpage Today, Wilbur Chen, MD, of the University of Maryland in Baltimore, was reassured by this data, saying given the lack of evidence for imprinting, he felt "encouraged that future boosting would be appropriate."

Medpage Today failed to report that The Defender provided evidence that showed that Chen is woefully conflict, accepting accepting $437,250 from vaccine makers.

See: CDC’s Committee Member Dr. Chen Should Be Removed Immediately Due to Conflict of Interest - The Defender (with call to action to email ACIP Chair Grace Lee).

Meanwhile, Medpage Today continued: “ACIP chair, Grace Lee, MD, of Stanford University in California, acknowledged the challenge of trying to ‘pursue a precision public health strategy’ on a population level.

‘At some point, we've had different objectives, [but] we need a shared vision and a goal for what we're trying to achieve,’ she noted, adding that public health agencies need to ‘communicate using a common language.’

Language? LANGUAGE? The language of Science is fine. We don’t need new language.

I’m telling you… keep your eyes wide open and watch moves to push for FDA approval for vaccines in June. Watch for something big to distract you away from this issue between now and June.

Stay focused. Stay loud. Use clear, language.