r/publichealth • u/GeologistBrave6866 • 4d ago
NEWS FDA Approves Updated Covid Vaccines With New Restrictions (Gift Article)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/health/fda-covid-vaccines-rfk-jr.html?unlocked_article_code=1.hU8.6yH0.Gn_6VUEr6RpO&smid=url-shareUgh.
In a social media post, Mr. Kennedy said the approvals accomplished the goals of keeping vaccines available to people who want them and of demanding that companies conduct placebo-controlled trials. One new, required study would examine “post-Covid-19 vaccination syndrome” in patients, a condition that has been noted in at least one small preliminary medical report, but is still a matter of pitched debate.
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u/PortraitofMmeX 4d ago
I live in California, so this part of the article caught my eye:
A decision by the C.D.C.’s panel is expected within a month, and it could greatly influence access to the shots at drugstore sites, which have become the most convenient places to get them. Laws in a number of states, including California, Pennsylvania, Florida and Massachusetts, require that pharmacy staff are only permitted to administer vaccines recommended by the C.D.C., said Richard Hughes IV, a lawyer who represents vaccine makers.
I used this to look up my state representative and called her office to flag this as a potential issue for people in California who need access to the vaccine. A very nice staffer chatted with me and seemed concerned to learn this, and said they would look into it. So might be worth calling your rep if you are in one of these states.
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u/ijustneedaccess 4d ago
You can find your representatives here: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials/
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u/bd2999 4d ago
Hearing Kennedy claim science, safety and common sense is a joke. He does none of them. I would love to see the information that backs up the claim. As there have been minor issues with the COVID vaccines but they have worked quite well by and large. And they are very.
Common sense indicates that if science and safety agree than you should offer it. He is the opposite of common sense. The goal is to chip away at vaccines in general.
In a year or two I imagine they will start banning or reducing access to all vaccines. To the point that they cost more and it is all a choice because none of them are 100% safe in the view of very biased panels.
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u/Potential-Scholar359 4d ago
I’m still trying to figure out why they want to eliminate vaccines. Like kids getting polio and dying of measles is a good thing to them? Make it make sense!
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u/bd2999 3d ago
The only thing I have figured, after longer than I care to mention of following the anti-vaxx and natural movements, is that they really believe that the vaccines cause more harm than they help. The reasons are varied, either because they cut into parental freedom or are a risk but their claim is that vaccines cause all sorts of side effects that are hidden because there is too much money in it.
Some of them deny that germs cause disease at all (sadly a seemingly growing movement), that vaccines cause autism or autoimmune disease etc. and they think all medicine is at the feet of big pharma.
Never mind that vaccines really do not make that much money compared to other treatments and so on. But that is how they see it. And the threshold they have is impossible to meet and ever changing. A vaccine must be 100% effective and 100% safe and even then trials must always use a placebo (ethics be damned if there already is a vaccine to save people) and safety trials must go on indefinitely before used.
It is goal post moving. It is illogical and does not make a whole lot of sense but that is the only logic I can make of it. They also downplay the impact of vaccines, like hygiene played more of a role in the decrease in polio. Why they think hygine changed so much and was the only factor makes no sense.
Alot of it is echo chamber with legit fears but it becomes a problem when they are not willing to see evidence or data that shows the opposite. As to them it is part of the conspiracy.
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u/Potential-Scholar359 3d ago
Thanks. It’s either what you said or it’s secret reverse psychology extreme environmentalism where they think the only way to save the planet is to kill is all. 🤷🏻♀️
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4d ago
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u/ActuallyApathy 3d ago
this is a silly question probably, but what is the point in doing placebo for a vaccine? isn't it kind of like doing placebo for a condom? (i.e. you don't get placebo pregnacies or placebo covid)
or is the placebo to measure side effects and post-vaccine syndromes?
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u/Katey5678 3d ago
There’s a placebo vaccine that doesn’t contain anything (usually saline, I think) so you still get a shot and don’t know whether it’s actually the vaccine or not.
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u/ActuallyApathy 3d ago
yeah i guess my question is more why do a placebo for a prophylactic medicine? my thought is it either prevents it or it doesn't, but maybe it's to study vaccine side effects or something?
(i'm not against doing it btw, just genuinely curious)
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u/Katey5678 3d ago
Well, it’s to make sure the prophylactic actually works and yes, side effects too. The placebo effect is powerful, and it’s important to be sure (at least 95% confident) that any prophylactic effect from the vaccine is truly from the vaccine and not from other things that can happen (e.g., person changing their behaviors to be more cautious after getting vaccinated). It also, yes, can be a good way to be sure about what side effects are truly from the vaccine as well. Placebo-controlled trials are really about the “effective” part though more than safety.
It’s exactly the reason why we have trials. Because we don’t want to recommend things to people that we aren’t at least 95% sure it truly works. In the case of the COVID vaccine, we realized quickly it works and approved it for EUA.
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u/ActuallyApathy 3d ago
okay that make sense! i put my brain to work too soon after waking up and ending going 'wait why do we science?' lol
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u/nicoke17 4d ago
Also no mention of healthcare workers? My hospital is only mandatory flu vaccine, however, those working in patient facing should have access to the covid vaccine if they want.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Sky6656 3d ago
That’s what I was coming to ask too. My company was requiring the Covid vaccine, not sure what they will do now.
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u/peonyseahorse 4d ago
I would rather they focus on the long-term effects of long-covid, than post Covid vaccine syndrome. To draw attention to this seems like a scare tactic to put it on people's minds that the vaccine has major side effects.
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u/mudpiechicken 4d ago
“The jab” impeded their freedom during the pandemic, and caring about the virus itself is supposedly “living in fear” and “weakness”
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u/Whaaaooo 4d ago
Do you think they're not trying to use scare tactics to put it on people's minds that the vaccine has major side effects? I would bet my life on the fact they are using "post Covid vaccine syndrome" in order to scare people.
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u/Strawbrawry BS Community Health | DoD Contractor 4d ago
So what are we all claiming as our condition?
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u/kittenpantzen 4d ago
Former smoker is on the CDC list of conditions and won't raise your insurance premiums like being a current tobacco user does...
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u/Prydeb4thefall 4d ago
He is so dumb with the whole placebo thing. The brain worms should have just kept going and taken control.
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u/lovely_orchid_ 4d ago
My husband and I just got Covid. It was mild due to our immunity and paxlovid . Now he can’t get his shot, I got mine.
This fucking sucks. This POs wants to kill people.
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u/DaAuraWolf 4d ago
Geez, it’s like we didn’t have a pandemic in over 100 years while our dear leader was telling us that this should go away after a few weeks before suggesting that we should drink bleach…
When will they ever grow up and take responsibility? Thats why they lost the 2020 election (add to the fact that people die and kids eventually turn 18 to be legally registered voters).
It’s about as reasonable as arguing with a chair.
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u/Prestigious_Space757 4d ago
What can I use as an underlying condition for a very healthy 14yr old? Asthma?
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u/Legitimate-Stuff9514 3d ago
Most doctors offices don't have them. That's the only reason I go to the pharmacy because they carry them.
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u/Rescuepets777 3d ago
So, use the drug trial process that already is in place. Got it.
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u/tentative_ghost 3d ago
This administration is just using the already in usage billionaire playbook: either acquire something that already exists or associate it with you somehow, slap your name on it, sit back and enjoy the accolades of uninformed people thinking you're a genius, savior, etc.
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u/[deleted] 4d ago
As someone who works in clinical research, I can confirm that placebos are already being utilized as controls. This guy is a fucking idiot.