Experts fear upheaval in the U.S. could fuel vaccine distrust in Canada
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Health and immunization experts are reassuring Canadians that vaccine guidance is independent and based on scientific rigor in Canada after all 17 members of the committee that provides vaccine guidance in the United States were abruptly purged this week.
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U.S. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. dismissed all members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), long considered the gold standard of vaccine guidance. Kennedy said the move would restore trust in the medical establishment and vaccines.
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At least one expert fears the upheaval in the U.S. could fuel increased vaccine distrust and confusion in Canada.
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But there could also be benefits for Canada, University of Ottawa epidemiologist Raywat Deonandan says.
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'It means the world is going to look to us to fill the gap of global leadership,' he said.
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The actions by Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, have been widely criticized by public health officials, doctor's groups and others throughout the U.S. who fear politicization of the committee and promotion of vaccine skepticism and conspiracy theories that will reduce routine vaccine uptake.
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Kennedy's appointment of eight replacement members this week — including several with anti-vax leanings — furthered concerns.
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Ottawa's Dr. Anne Pham-Huy, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at CHEO and chair of Immunize Canada, a coalition promoting the benefits of immunization, said she was 'profoundly shocked and deeply concerned' to learn about the dismissal of all 17 members of ACIP.
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'These are experts in the science of vaccinology, public health, infectious diseases and immunology,' she said. 'It is a group of experts that make recommendations based on science. To remove a group of individuals when that is their role is worrisome.'
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Pham-Huy said she was concerned the U.S. move could lead to increasing mistrust around immunization recommendations, including in Canada.
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'Recommendations should be based on science, not ideology or politics. Vaccines are not supposed to be political,' she said.
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'I am increasingly spending more time trying to counsel on things that used to be basic,' she said. That includes talking to some families about why tetanus is a concern and why the vaccine is important. She said she was not alone in hearing more questions and concerns about vaccines than she had in the past. She said she was happy to answer questions and talk with families, but the trend was worrisome.
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North Dakota, which hadn't seen measles since 2011, was up to 34 cases as of June 6, but has held steady since. Two of the people have been hospitalized. All of the people with confirmed cases were not vaccinated. There were 16 cases in Williams County in western North Dakota on the Montana border. On the eastern side of the state, there were 10 cases in Grand Forks County and seven cases in Cass County. Burke County, in northwest North Dakota on the border of Saskatchewan, Canada, had one case. Where else is measles showing up in the U.S.? Measles cases also have been reported this year in Alaska, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. Health officials declared earlier outbreaks in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania over after six weeks of no new cases. 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The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the CDC. Most kids will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death. How can you treat measles? There's no specific treatment for measles, so doctors generally try to alleviate symptoms, prevent complications and keep patients comfortable. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
